The artwork is situated in the heart of Chinatown, at the intersection of Saint-Urbain and De la Gauchetière streets. Composed of seven prefabricated concrete panels, it presents a scene from Chinese mythology in which different animals have gathered to elect their king. At the bottom of the composition, a king on his horse is followed by a servant carrying his bags. In the centre, a pig on a cloud wears farmer’s clothing and holds a rake. Above, on another cloud, is a monkey in the pelican position. He wears a martial arts costume and holds a stick in his hands. In the upper left-hand corner, a palace sites on a cloud.

In Chinese astrology, the monkey is known as the cleverest animal. According to legend, the monkey king is born from a stone egg and has magical powers.

The mural was executed in 1984 under the Chinatown revitalization program. Commissioned by the Ville de Montréal, it was the result of a design competition open to artists and architects in Montréal’s Chinese community.