Old Town Chinatown Gateway, Portland

Old Town Chinatown Gateway, Portland

Serving as the official entrance to Portland's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, this 38-ft (12 m) tall "paifang" made of bronze, marble, granite, wood, tile, and steel features eye-catching depictions of 78 dragons and 58 mythical characters. As tradition requires, one bronze lion is male and the other is female (representing yin and yang), while the Chinese letters on the front and back read "Portland Chinatown" and "Four Seas, One Family", respectively.

The gate was proposed by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in 1984, who've designated Taiwanese architects and artists to complete its design before having it shipped to Portland and presented to the City of Portland as "gesture of goodwill from the Chinese community". The gate cost $256,000 and was the largest of its kind in the United States until one in Washington, D.C. was completed several months later.

Tip:
Among other main attractions in Old Town Chinatown are the Lan Su Chinese Garden, the Portland Saturday Market; the Shanghai tunnels, where people used to be kidnapped, smuggled, and sold as slaves; the Skidmore Fountain and the very famous Voodoo Doughnut. If you are in the mood for dancing, here you will find some of the city's best night clubs also.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Portland. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Old Town Chinatown Gateway on Map

Sight Name: Old Town Chinatown Gateway
Sight Location: Portland, USA (See walking tours in Portland)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Portland, Oregon

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