1984 Louisiana World Exposition

Peruvian Flag

Description of the Peru Pavilion from the 1984 World's Fair Official Souvenir Guide:

The main part of the Peruvian exhibit consists of a long, winding mural combined with audio visual materials to demonstrate how water has affected three significant aspects of the country: the Peruvian coast, the Andes mountains, and the Amazon Basin.

In the section on the coast the visitor is told the legend of the god Nylamp, who founded the culture of the Michica Chimu, dating back to 100 B.C. He explores the Nazca culture, which in 400 B.C. made creative use of the lack of rain by sweeping away chunks of volcanic rock to form artistic patterns on the earth's surface. These designs remain today, forming one of the world's geological wonders. An ancient Puruchucos mummy demonstrates this Peruvian culture's advanced understanding and utilization of humidity.

In the Andes section, the visitor is taken to Lake Titicaca which. at 12,000 feet above sea level, is the highest navigable lake in the world, and learns how the steamers navigating this lake were brought piece by piece two miles up the Andes to be constructed at the shore. He learns the romantic Inca legend of Manco Capac, which explains how the city of Cuzco was born. He visits the lost city Of Machu Picchu and explores the carefully planned drainage and irrigation system devised by the Incas in the 1300's. A breathtaking audio-visual presentation shows an expedition of explorers on a boat ride through the Colca Canyon, twice the size of the United States' Grand Canyon.

In the Amazon Basin section, the visitor learns that this region of the world produces 20 percent of the earth's oxygen, one half of all known bird species, 4,000 butterfly species and over 2,000 varieties of fish.

Proceeding to the final part of the exhibit, the fairgoer gets a glimpse of a life-sized Amazon hut. A magnificent exhibit of Peruvian gold pieces, some dating as far back as 1500 B.C., is on display in the Gold Room. Live piranhas, a species of flesh-eating fish which originated in the Amazon, may be seen gliding through the large aquarium on display. The adjacent concession area is stocked with souvenirs and tourist information.