Seattle Chinatown Gate

Seattle has had three Chinatowns since the 1860s, and the present, third Chinatown was established in the early 1900s. The Seattle Chinese community long sought a Pai-Lau, a traditional gateway, to honor more than 150 years of Chinese American contributions, history, culture, ownership, and community pride. In 2003, nine community leaders established the Historic Chinatown Gate Foundation to oversee planning, fundraising, and construction of two matching gates. Seed money and technical support came from the Chong Wa Benevolent Association, the Greater Seattle Chinese/Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, the South Downtown Foundation, and MulvannyG2 Architecture, while construction funding also came from community donations and grants from the South Downtown Foundation, the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, and King County. The design emerged from collaboration between local and overseas talent in response to site and city requirements, local companies donated or provided most construction materials at cost, and the ornamental tiles came from Southern China. Dedicated on February 9, 2008, the gate stands at the western entrance to Seattle's Chinatown as a testament to the unity and will of the Seattle Chinese community and a lasting remembrance of those who came before.

Seattle, Washington · United States