Friendship Arch, the Downtown icon hailed as the world’s largest single-span Chinese arch, has been restored to its former glory. The monument, located in the heart of Chinatown at 7th and H Streets, stands 60 feet tall and radiates with newfound beauty.
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities completed renovations on the colorful mainstay, which was built to celebrate DC’s friendship with Beijing, in August. The city dedicated the arch, also known as the Chinatown Gateway Arch, in 1986. It is a mighty sight to behold with seven roofs, 7,000 tiles and 272 painted dragons in the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Major renovations included repairing and replacing the rotten wood façade encasing the Duo Gongs and animal heads; reinstalling the original lighting; replacing missing tiles and tile crew caps; restoring worn-out decorations; replacing the metal band around the base; painting the columns, decorative beams and lintels; and replacing the joint fillers.
The newly revamped memorial fits the DC Office of Planning and the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs’ plan—along with input from the Downtown BID, the Chinatown Community Cultural Center (616 H Street), other city agencies and community and business stakeholders—to boost Chinatown’s image and attract visitors. What a great start.