Restoration work will begin on the Friendship Arch, which is located on 7th and H Streets in the heart of Chinatown, on June 1.
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is renovating the colorful, local icon, which was built to celebrate DC’s friendship with Beijing and dedicated by the city in 1986. Also known as the Chinatown Gateway Arch, the monument has global status: it’s the world’s largest single-span Chinese arch, standing about 60 feet high. The arch has seven roofs, 7,000 tiles and 272 painted dragons in the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Major renovations will include 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 facelift fits the DC Office of Planning and the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs’ plan —along with major 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. For information about how this project will affect travel, visit www.ddot.dc.gov.
