Chinese Dragons - San Francisco, CA
Posted by: 
denben
N 37° 47.441 W 122° 24.336
10S E 552334 N 4182757
Chinese Dragons above the Dragon Gate located on Grant Avenue at Bush Street in San Francisco Chinatown.
Waymark Code: WMW4EB
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 07/09/2017
Views: 4
"Arguably one of the most photographed sites in San Francisco is the Gateway Arch (Dragon Gate) on Grant Avenue, dedicated on October 18th 1970. This gate is the only authentic Chinatown Gate in North America. Unlike similar structures which usually stand on wooden pillars, this iconic symbol conforms to Chinese gateway standards using stone from base to top and green-tiled roofs in addition to wood as basic building materials. The gate is based on the ceremonial gates that can be found in Chinese villages, called paifang. The gate is adorned with sculptures of fish and dragons and is flanked by two large lion statues or fou lions, which are meant to thwart evil-spirits.
The gate has three passageways. The large, central one is meant for dignitaries while the two smaller passageways are meant for the common people. Taiwan provided materials for the gate, but the design is by Chinese-American architect Clayton Lee, whose design apparently won a contest in the late 1960s. The two-tiered, pagoda-style structure were built according to principles of feng shui, which dictate (among other things) that a city’s grandest gate must face south, and — though somewhat dwarfed by the larger buildings around it — that it does.
A wooden plaque hangs from the central archway, on which stand gilded characters rendering a quote from the “Father of Modern China”, the revered leader (and one-time Chinatown resident) Dr. Sun Yat Sen: “ALL UNDER HEAVEN IS FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE”." (
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