This archway is not only beautiful but also fully functional. People and vehicles can pass through underneath it pretty comfortably. If you're a pedestrian, you even have the choices of passing through the archway or just walk around it from the sides, you can climb over it but it'd be too much work and DCPD might shoot you down. I think is great that the archway offers more options than just passing through. I should point out that even though the archway have so many tiny roofs, it could've gone with one big roof to be efficient. Regardless of a good roof, it still cannot provide a good shelter from the elements for any homeless people. The structural design seem to provide good acoustics for preachers and musicians playing near the metro station in front of the archway though.

Near the intersection of 7th Ave and H Street you can find a traditional Chinese Archway, known as the Friendship Archway. This structure was designed and built by Alfred H. Liu in 1986 to foster the growing relationship between the District of Columbia and Beijing Municipality (China) at that time. The archway is larger than traditional archways you will find in China or in Chinatowns in other cities around the world, crossing the entire four lane road. It is quite colourful, vibrant with includes classic Chinese images and design features. Overall, the Friendship Archway is nice to see if you are in the area but we'd not go out of our way for this one.

These arches, which are in Chinatowns worldwide, apparently are part of a controversial political outreach program by the PRC to woo Chinatown proprietors all over the world; many of them fled Mao to Taiwan. They are not friends with the PRC but love the free advertising and visibility. They are fairly similar in placement and scale at each Chinatown, but vary in deluxeness and/por gaudiness. The Boston one looks like our DC one but the Buenos Aires one is much more simple - and it has a sign describing shopowner disagreement with PRC.

I cant even tell you how I found this place. This was my first girls trip with best friends of 22 yrs so it seemed very fitting to come here for an instagrammable photo. I will say it is in a high traffic area and there are some "displaced personnel" lingering around but still worth a good pic with friends
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Went to Vapiano Chinatown I didn't understand the process so I ordered the pizza to be safe side but after talking to some of the customers we figured it out came back after work 3days later NOW WE LOVE IT. But on the downside if you want to just eat and lounge around there like you do at an Italians Home this is not the place, they don't like you lounging around eat and get out. But that okay...

Nos pareció bastante bonito el arco, la entrada perfecta para una zona llena de restaurantes y lugares donde pasar un rato agradable. No pudimos explorar más ese día porque ya habíamos agendado un tour en otro lado pero lo que alcanzamos a ver nos gustó bastante.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

The Archway into Chinatown is an amazing site to see. The best part is finding where the best, most authentic Chinese restaurant is. It requires patience and persistence to wander the streets until it appears before you. Often it is hidden behind the flashy exterior of some chain restaurant that dominates the corner of the block. Just look and you will find it.

After a Wizards game, I was randomly walking around and encountered the arch! It was so massive and marvelous to me that I had to stop in the middle of the road and capture a photo. Idk why I was so fascinated with it but I felt like it was historical and it was so architectural sound! I'm sad that I wasn't able to explore more of Chinatown.

Well, I came on a very rainy day so the colors were even more vibrant and I love that you know, you're in Chinatown by passing these archways. I couldn't really have a closer look into the shops and restaurants around and it's safe not comparable to other Chinatowns but I quite liked it.

When you get off the metro at the Gallery Place/Chinatown stop, you know you are in Chinatown. The reason is the iconic DC symbol of the Chinatown Friendship Archway. The Chinese New Year Celebration held was a great festive event that brought out all communities of the city and beyond.

Beautiful to see at night. If at night, be aware of your surroundings and walk with a buddy. I had about a half dozen people approach me asking for money or food.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Great place for meeting up with people, grabbing lunch (of any kind, being that there are so many restaurants and eclectic types of food) as well as retail and other shopping places also you can catch up on the historic Chinatown of the District of Columbia!

Iconic symbol of Chinatown and landmark for tons of great food and things to do! Just be advised that there are quite a large number of homeless people near the metro but I have never had an issue with them in two years of commuting here on a daily basis.

DC truly has one of the worst Chinatowns I've ever been too. There are only a handful of actual Asian restaurants in the area. The entire neighborhood is now just sports bars, chains, and trendy restaurants to cater to people visiting Capital One Arena.

It's the epicenter of Chinatown in DC. If you can find this arch you can get anywhere in Chinatown. Be cautious of traffic. Catch metro. Get fro yo or Rita's. Vapianos is great! Walgreens has the coldest AC in the district & great snacks.

I really enjoyed walking through Chinatown before the concert at Capital One Arena. Lots of restaurants...lots of parking garages near by. Use i street and 7th for close and cheap options. Chinatown is also very aesthetically pleasing.

I've been actively searching for things that make DC unique aside from the statues and monuments. This was the first sign of any real culture in this city. Pretty cool place in general. A lot of shopping and Chinese eateries.

Chinatown de Washington totalement différent du Chinatown de New York. Ici on est dans les quartiers chics et un restaurant Clyde's vaut le détour de par son cadre, sa carte et son service. Un autre Clyde's est à Georgetown.

Spectacular 7-roofed gateway and literally over 200-300 lions (dragons). Colors smash city mediocrity of grey roads & ash buildings. Truly lovely - rest of Chinatown has food & shops. Grab a moon cake and walk around.

This beautiful archway in Washington DC is the entrance to the smallest Chinatown I've ever seen.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

One of the last great additions left I. Chinatown DC. Its heavily gentrified by popular culture and desired places that fit that look and feel. The demographic has also changed drastically.

This archway is the cherry on top of one of the most clean, nice China towns I've ever been to. Not the most authentic, because that is kinda the opposite of clean and nice.

Not much to say about it. The archway is beautiful. There's nothing to evaluate other than its beauty. It's really the only landmark that indicates you're in Chinatown.

Ładna, ale mnie jakoś szczególnie nie zachwyciła.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Not much left of Chinatown. I remember it was a cool place when I was a kid but they have gutted any character. Arch is pretty from afar but up close it shows its age.

One of the most noticeable gates in DC. The China town friendship gate is really an open retrace to the Chinese culture and food. I was really lucky to see it !

Nice place to venture ,cool restaurants and movie theater nearby ...close to shopping and club scene. Can be busy with traffic and also metro accessible though.

Tenía más expectativas de este lugar. Si eres turista , como yo y ya pasaste por todo el national mall este puede ser el último lugar que tienes que explorar.

Best time for photos is at sunset. If you time it just right take advantage of the four-way walk sign and capture it in the middle of the street. Be safe!

Fun and busy, little section of Gallery Place/ Chinatown. There are a lot of great restaurants nearby, a bowling alley, movie theater, and concert hall.

Beautiful arch marking the entrance to an area that has become filled with your standard chain establishments for the most part, Still it's O.K.

Was in DC for a conference... This is beautiful with all it's detail. .. Just waking by tho on my way somewhere else. We stayed near China Town

A landmark and staple of DC's Chinatown...located in the "Times Square" of DC. One of the liveliest, busiest pedestrian intersections in DC.

Cool structure.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
Free

Pórtico algo chusquero la verdad. Yo fui a posta a verlo y me arrepiento de haberme hecho un Lyft solo para ello. Mejor el de NYC de lejos!

I didn’t like it very much because the only attraction is to take the photo of the arch. Nothing touristy, my personal opinion.

The Friendship Archway is a nice landmark, visually distinguishes this part of town and marks DC's (very small) Chinatown area.

Seems to be the most authentic part of DC's China Town which is otherwise a little underwhelming from a cultural standpoint.

This is a very cool place to visit if you're in DC! Lots of great food, entertainment and it's right by a metro station.

It defines the Chinatown area. It also makes for great pictures if you stop in the middle of the diagonal crosswalk.

Just to see the gate is awesome, But the restaurants an the shopping around the area is really the experience here.

No hay muchas cosas chinas cerca. La mayoría de los negocios son comunes con sólo sus carteles escritos en chino

It's been the most organized Chinatown I've seen among a couple big cities. Also the gate was beautiful and big

Beautiful shopping center that engulfs all the excellent stores to enhance a person experience! …

Always lively, heart of the city. Lots of food and museums, also the capital one arena and street performers

The service was excellent, and the food. I would highly recommend a place to eat and very latest back.

Very pretty street with lovely architecture, street art, and lots and lots of restaurant options.

Very beautiful! The area around the arch was somewhat littered, but looking up is a nice sight.

From all the areas I visited this week the is the part of town where you truly feel unsafe.

Felt very unsafe because of thugs and other intoxicated lowlifes.
Visited on
Weekday

Most helpful they play a great role in my life and getting me on my feet love them

I got lost in the bus people help me to get back to the right bus thank you Metro

Looks cool. Not a lot of " attraction" to it and it's hard to get a good photo.

Beautiful gate; one of the few things actually Chinese in D.C.'s "Chinatown".

Often there also nice place.. All anywhere restruant shopping around D.C...

This area was cool to walk around at night, cultural symbols were beautiful

La estructura es atractiva pero el lugar es desagradable, no es interesante

Love this area! Fun, colorful, happy, good food and shopping in this area.

This archway just means you are at Gallery Place part of Chinatown.

China town is always a great la e goe entertainment and great food

This might be the ONLY symbol of Chinese culture in DC Chinatown.

Too much traffic in that area. People traffic on the sidewalks.

Très beau quartier, Chinatown, avec une galerie commerciale ...

It's a nice place to go through. The store and eat nice food.

Nice site.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait

It's a nice to visit for asain. And people from out of town.

One of the better maintained and larger friendship arches.

Marion Barry did a great job in getting this installed.

Great place great for individuals, and family, eateries

This might be the only thing that's left of Chinatown

Arch look good. Good part of china town. …

Bonito, practico . Favor de llevar calzado liviano.

super resto dans le petit Chinatown de Washington.

It was so very beautiful. I am so glad we saw it.

Must-stop Chinatown symbol for every major city.

Nice quick breakfast, just wish there were seats

This is a great area to meet for lunch or dinner

Felt like I was on the other side of the world !

Nice place to hang out and lot of stores nearby

Cool spot with plenty of crazy people preaching

Be aware of the hustlers by the metro entrance!

Iconic entry to DC Chinatown. Worth the walk.

Great location, close to everything you need.

like all chinese areas dirty and unpleasant.

Overpriced tourist trap. Nice to look at.

It's okay. Just an archway over a street.

It's located at Gallery Place 7and H N.W.

One of the most happening places in DC

Not sure this qualifies as an archway.

Busy area for food and entertainment.

Beautiful showin of Chinese heritage

Great enterence to the Regal Theatre

Gorgeous symbol of Chinese culture.

Beautiful. Was celebrating the CAPS

Not much else left to DC Chinatown

Street performers here are awesome

Chinatown is great. Check it out!

A very beautiful archway in DC .

Near many shops and restaurants

One of the coolest areas in DC