Chinatown Gateway Monument

The Chinatown Gateway Monument features two ornate, traditional Chinese-style portals spanning the street, topped with intricate blue-tiled roofs and colorful, hand-painted detailing. Constructed in nineteen thirty-eight, it served as the formal entrance to the new Chinatown after the city demolished the original neighborhood to build Union Station. Residents and business owners pooled their own money to build these gates, determined to maintain their community identity. They even hired Hollywood set designers to help create the distinctive architectural style that still defines the entrance today.