Chinatown, Washington D.C.

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Chinatown in DC is much smaller than other Chinatowns in US because it’s no more than 2-3 blocks that house several Chinese restaurants that aren’t as cheap as someone would expect. Actually, the only Chinese people we met were working at the local restaurants and they weren’t everywhere around like in San Fransisco or New York.

I don’t really have much to say about the area, it was full of cheap Chinese restaurants and the one and only impressive site was the Chinatown Gate which was right next to the metro station we used many times so we had the chance to take picture of the gate day and night (pics 1-2). The “Friendship Archway” was made in 1986 and it’s decorated with 300 dragons. As our hotel was located there we had the chance to buy from a small store some extremely cheap souvenirs, hats for the sun, and if we had any rain we would buy an umbrella for $3 :)

In case you saw every museum at the Mall you’ll probably pass from here anyway as some nice museums are located here like the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. It’s located at 575 7th St. NW, open daily 9.00-21.00(Sundays 10.00-19.00). With so many free museums in DC we just skipped the $18 entrance fee they ask for!

Who says I don’t appreciate Chinatown?

Where else could I buy an umbrella by $5, right exiting the restaurant, to face an unexpected rain? (The French group was surprised, thinking I was prepared, and carried the umbrella with me. Shell I tell them the truth?).
But the rain... I couldn't see much|

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Do you enjoy cop shows, including documentaries? Are you a crime victim? Are you or have you ever been in law enforcement? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then check out the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. This museum opened only recently, probably why most people don't know about it.

Inside are a wide range of exhibits covering the entire history of American crime, law enforcement, prisons, forensics, capital punishment, and the movies about them. See Clyde Barrow's car, where he and his partner in crime Bonnie Parker were killed in a police ambush (remember the final scene from Bonnie and Clyde?). See exhibits on medieval justice, punishments in colonial America, the pirates, the Old West, gangsters, serial killers, America's prisons, a replica forensic lab, fraud, computer crime, and a lot more.

located in old downtown, chinatown is a small area that once was the center of washington's chinese comunity. today this area has been recently renovated and now has a nice selection of bars, restaurants, and stores. pictured is "friendship archway". built in 1986 it was paid for by the city of beijing. the arch has seven tile roofs and is decorated with three hundred painted dragons in the style of the qing dynasty. the "friendship archway" is the largest single span chinese arch in the world.

Lots of cities have arches. Paris has its Arc de Triomphe, Rome has its Arch of Titus, Barcelona has its Triumphal Arch, London has its Marble Arch, New York has its Washington Square Arch. So it is only fitting that the American capital, Washington D.C., should have one, too.

Washington’s arch, a Chinese arch on H Street in Chinatown, is not your ordinary marble paean to a military victory. It is a multicolored friendship arch, with lots of red and gold, as befitting an arch in the Chinese style. In the middle is a panel emblazoned with Chinese characters that says “Jungwa” – the Chinese word for “China.”

The arch marks the entrance to Washington’s Chinatown, which is probably one of the smaller Chinatowns around. It consists of a block or two dotted with Asian restaurants and a few buildings with pagoda-style roofs. Chinese immigrants moved into the neighborhood in the 1850s, when the German immigrants who originally lived there moved on to bigger and better things.

Nowadays, the Chinese population is dwindling. City planners hoped that a traditional Chinese arch would attract tourists and revive business. It was designed - aptly, I think - by a “local” architect named Alfred H. Liu, who clearly sounds like a man with feet in two worlds.

Since the arch went up in 1986, it has been a focal point for festivities marking the Chinese New Year. Because the Chinese calendar is lunar (like the Hebrew calendar), holiday dates are not fixed. If you are planning a trip to Washington D.C. in January-February, check the calendar to make sure you don’t miss the Chinese New Year Parade that passes under the arch.

In the few minutes I stood at the bus stop, I witnessed at least two collisions at this intersection. The sirens wailed, street entertainers were banging away on metal bowls – in short, it was a very noisy and chaotic place.

Going to see the parade and bringing in the Year of the Boar(Pig) was such a good time. I suggest going early and getting some lunch and a good spot on the street to get good view of the parade. This event is great for the whole family, and kids of all ages will get a kick out of sites and sounds. Remember it is winter time so dress in layers and be aware of possible snow and ice on the street,(the police had the part of the walk way blocked off cause of dangerous ice melting off the roofs). The event is free but bring money for food and maybe to by a hat from the vendors:)! Overall Id rate the whole deal about an 8 of 10. Mostly cause I didnt get a place to make for great pics and I was standing on ice. But that was my bad. But I love the dragons so I will be going back next year. But the next time new years fall on my Birthday Im going to China to do it up Big! Check out my shopping, resaurant tips and transportation tips as well. Photos to come later this week. Gozalo!Enjoy!

To tell the truth: Washington's Chinatown is small, nondescript, and uninteresting. It occupies all of two blocks and has almost been completely overrun by non-Chinese stores and restaurants. Most stores that originally were here have packed up and moved to areas where the Chinese population is now higher (Rockville, Maryland and Falls Church, Virginia). This Chinatown is really not worth your time to visit; the only 'attraction' is a tall, dragon filled Friendship Gate on H Street.

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Washington's Chinatown is modest compared to that of San Francisco, or Oakland. However, it does have the main feature that most people really desire--some fine restaurants, modestly priced. It's centrally located, just a few blocks north of the Navy Memorial, next to the Verizon Center.