Chan Chan, the biggest adobe city in the Americas, is found on Peru's northern coast, in the Trujillo Province, in the Department of La Libertad. It is a World Heritage Site owing to its immense historic value and significance, and it has become a major tourist destination for national and international visitors.

It was the capital of the Chimú culture, which flourished on the northern coast of Peru between 850 and 1470 AD. In that period, Chan Chan managed to achieve a high level of economic, social and urban development. It was later conquered by the Incas, and then raided by the Spanish. 

The central area of Chan Chan comprises ten extravagant walled citadels. Its walls are decorated in high relief with geometric motifs and shapes of fish and birds. What's more, spectacular architectural designs can be seen, such as working class districts, city walls, sidewalks, canals and cemeteries.

Thanks to its exceptional universal values and its unique testimony to a vanished civilization, the Chan Chan Archaeological Zone was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1986.

Chan Chan is estimated to have had a population of between 20 and 30 thousand inhabitants.  Its buildings, which are architectural masterpieces, served as warehouses, residences, mausoleums, administrative centers and temples.

The Nik An palace (previously known as Tschudi) has undergone the most restoration work and is the only building open to visitors. This palace is characterized by its thick 10-meter-high walls - architecture specially designed to withstand earthquakes. In addition, and despite being built in one of the driest climates in Peru, crops and gardens were fertilized using an advanced irrigation system.

Etymology

The name is probably derived from the Quingnam "Jiang" or "Chang" which means Sun, from which Chan-Chan would be literally: Sun-Sun. It is hypothesized that its true meaning would be: Great sun, resplendent Sun, splendid sun or refulgent sun (since a typical feature of the Quingnam language is that the reduplication of a word acquires a new meaning). Another theory says that the name would derive from the term: Shian or Sian. The "Shi" voice translates as Moon and "An" as a house, meaning House of the Moon, making known that the Moon was the main deity.

Conservation plan

In 1998, The "Master Plan for Conservation and Management of the Chan Chan Archeological Complex" was drawn up by the Freedom National Culture Institute of Peru with contributions from the World Heritage Foundation – WHR, ICCROM, and GCI. The plan was approved by the Peruvian Government. Methods of conservation include reinforcement and stabilization of structures of main buildings and around the Tschudi Palace, using a blend of traditional and modern engineering techniques. Chan Chan currently has 46 points of critical damage, though the site's total damage far exceeds these points. The regional government of La Libertad is funding conservation efforts at these points.