Friendship Gate Symbolism

The Friendship Gate is an internationally known landmark and a symbol of cultural exchange and friendship between Philadelphia and its sister city, Tianjin, China. I will be discussing the function of the Friendship Gate, the location in which the gate was placed, the history, and my personal experience at the gate. The Chinese Friendship Gate is an important symbol to the Chinese that live in the area and Asian population in general because it’s a symbol of respect that Philadelphia has for the Asian population.
The Chinese Friendship Gate was dedicated on January 31, 1984. It is the first authentic Chinese Gate built in America by artisans from China (Booker, 2009). The gate was installed at the intersection of Tenth and Arch street in 1984
But in every case of a landmark being made there’s always people that are for it, against it and do not want to see it happen. For example, some people see the gate and are not supportive of it and see it as a waste of space but according to The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia says about the gate is , “In that case it provided a distinctive anchor for Philadelphia’s Chinatown, which had evolved since the nineteenth century to become a cultural and business center for multiple Asian immigrant groups. Chinatown’s borders have been redefined and reduced by urban renewal and infrastructure projects such as the Ben Franklin Bridge, the Vine Street Expressway, Independence Mall Urban Renewal Area, and the Philadelphia Convention Center. Residents of Chinatown protested each of these projects, which resulted in businesses and homes being razed and residents displaced. One successful protest in 1973 resulted in a redesign of the Vine Street Expressway, so that the construction would not destroy three additional city blocks and a church within Chinatown (Encyclopedia). This is an example of how the Friendship Gate effected its surrounding urban environment. People that wanted Chinatown to get reduced is because they do not see the significance that, that area has to a certain population, which are the Asians. Even with local protests, Chinatown has been reduced in size from
I visited the gate during the evening because I heard from my fellow school peers that the gate is so much prettier in the night time due to the lighting the gate has. The area surrounding the gate is also very colorful, alive, and very vibrant. Chinatown as a whole is a very alive, colorful, and very entertaining place to