There is no doubt that Horseshoe Cincinnati guests will be in for action-packed gaming, great dining and unique entertainment when the casino opens on March 4. But guests might be surprised to take in some International ¬¬history during their visit, as well. Nestled inside the casino’s high limit area is a unique Asian Gaming Room that pays homage to Chinese culture and tradition specific to a city that has shared a special relationship with Cincinnati for more than two decades.
The Horseshoe Cincinnati Asian Gaming Room was meticulously designed to honor the history of Liuzhou, China – Cincinnati’s sister city since 1988. Like Cincinnati, the City of Liuzhou, located in southern China’s Guangxi Province, is situated on the banks of a winding river; Liuzhou’s focal point is also a “fountain square” in the center of downtown.
Liuzhou’s 2,000 year history, familiar geography and folklore is thoughtfully celebrated in Horseshoe Cincinnati’s Asian Gaming Room, which was researched and developed by renowned designer Taki Huang-Murao. His firm, T. Murao Designs Inc. has also designed Asian-themed gaming and dining spaces at several Caesars Entertainment destinations across the United States, including two Horseshoe properties in Indiana.
Huang-Murao says the room represents a great opportunity to further unite two distant cities through the display of arts, crafts and folk tales of the life along the great river. “We hope to bring the two communities closer by providing a unique space that will provide guests with a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture,” he said.
The Horseshoe Cincinnati Asian Gaming room features:
- A floor-to-ceiling solid Burmese teak circular display cabinet which features artifacts collected from Liuzhou antique markets and collectors;
- A hand carved wooden replica of an antique map of Liuzhou, embellished by a glittering Liu River, which hovers above the Burmese teak entrance;
- Stone panels, measuring eight feet tall and hand carved by Liuzhou artists depict Chinese life generations ago; and,
- A colossal hand-painted Chinese paper fan suspended from the ceiling, which is adorned with swimming carp, an ancient China symbol of ‘good luck;’ and,
- Three Mini-Baccarat tables, a popular table game among many Asian cultures.
The International Sister City program was created by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower to promote International exchange and understanding. More than 2,000 cities throughout 136 countries participate in the program which encourages economic development, tourism, arts and community development. The City of Cincinnati partnered with Liuzhou, its first Sister City, in 1988. Since then Cincinnati has also adopted sister cities in Japan, Ukraine, Germany, Zimbabwe, France and Taiwan.
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