A Visual Introduction to Washington D.C. : Chinatown
2 Comments Published by Cedric Benetti on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 1/12/2010 08:42:00 PM.
The Friendship Archway, built in the 1980s as a traditional Chinese gate designed by local architect Alfred H. Liu. The colorful one million dollar work of public art includes 7000 tiles, and 272 painted dragons in the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Erected to celebrate friendship with Washington's sister city of Beijing, it was hoped the arch would reinforce the neighborhood's Chinese character. According to the plaque next to the arch, it is the largest such single-span archway in the world.
Erected to celebrate friendship with Washington's sister city of Beijing, it was hoped the arch would reinforce the neighborhood's Chinese character. According to the plaque next to the arch, it is the largest such single-span archway in the world.
Labels: Holiday Travels, photography, Washington DC
Curious place, this contrast between the ancient chinese architecture and modern buildings behind... We have something similar here, much more modest, of course, in Paris-Alfortville : Chinagora, a tourist complex built in 1992 and styled in pure Chinese Manchu architecture, with glazed tiles and materials directly imported from China. Located at the confluence of the Seine and the Marne, the center was supposed to celebrate the cultural exchanges between France and China. The construction was never really finish and it has not really worked till these last years. What a shame, it’s was a pleasant place to take a rest, the garden is small but charming… I think his access was not very easy, which explained the failure of the expected attendance… It had been abandoned at some moment… I don’t know what became of this place since I have not visited it… Sorry, my english is awful !
Bonjour! Cedric,
A mosaic/painted Archway, seems to always be presence in every Chinatown, in every city.
I wonder if that is true? or not true?
Merci de partager!
DeeDee ;-D