Resembling a medieval fortress, two long walls at the entrance -- once bright scarlet red but now faded to dusty pink -- covered in Chinese characters lead to a large red archway, evoking a drawbridge opening onto another world.

At first glance, China Town appears to be just a shopping centre selling almost entirely Chinese imported goods -- clothing, footwear, electronics, power banks and kitchen utensils, alongside ginseng tea and an array of traditional medicine.

A supermarket stocks imported sauces, instant noodles, snacks and drinks, most of which are labelled exclusively in Chinese.

But behind the walls that resemble the Great Wall, and the Mandarin signage, China Town has a close-knit community.

Shop owners, workers and residents are familiar with one another, and some Chinese nationals living in Lagos reside within the complex, which has several dozen apartments.

Many do not speak English and communication with Nigerian workers and customers often relies on a small number of Mandarin-speaking translators or AI-powered translation apps on smartphones.

There is even a Chinese hospital staffed by Chinese doctors. Posters in Mandarin are plastered on the walls showing medicinal plants and traditional treatments.

On Sundays, the atmosphere shifts markedly, becoming more residential. Residents socialise with neighbours, walk down to buy pork from a vendor who sets up a table for the day.

Chinese residents from other parts of Lagos also go to China Town to buy products.