Chinatown dragons

Los Angeles, California, United States

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Listed, not yet checked · Oct 2026

This Big Thing is recorded as still being here.

The Chinatown Gateway Monument, known as the Dragon Gate, spans Broadway at Cesar E. Chavez Avenue at the southern edge of Los Angeles's Chinatown. Dedicated in June 2001 and designed by architect Rupert Mok, it carries two golden dragons chasing a pearl.

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Chinatown dragons

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Site-level location · 34.0589° N, 118.2400° W

FIELD GUIDE

The story

Two golden dragons arch over Broadway at the southern edge of Los Angeles's Chinatown, fighting over a pearl, a recurring motif in Chinese art. CicLAvia, in September 2026, describes the gateway as welcoming visitors at the southern entrance to the neighbourhood and says the pearl and the dragons' eyes are illuminated at night.

According to a plaque transcribed by the Historical Marker Database, the Chinatown Gateway Monument was built through a partnership between the Los Angeles Chinatown community and several City of Los Angeles bodies, including the Community Redevelopment Agency, Cultural Affairs Department, General Services and the Department of Water and Power. It calls the gateway a strong visual symbol of mutual cooperation, harmony and prosperity. The monument was dedicated in June 2001, and the same plaque records that in 2004 an official ceremony celebrated the lighting of the two dragons.

The Los Angeles Explorers Guild reports that architect Rupert Mok's concept was chosen from 17 ideas submitted to a city-sponsored contest, and tells the story that the design came to him as a vision while he crossed Broadway. According to the Guild, the dragons are gold, in the Qing dynasty style, with five fingers on each hand. They are held aloft on eight red pillars bearing the words Wisdom and Harmony in English and Chinese, and aluminium mesh suggests clouds.

The gate is over a live roadway, so look up from the pavement and keep clear of traffic. Discover Los Angeles calls the Golden Dragon Parade the highlight of Chinatown's Lunar New Year festivities, with the 125th held in February 2024.

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WHAT TO EXPECT

A street-spanning gateway over North Broadway at the southern entrance to Chinatown. Look up to see the two dragons, the red pillars and the mesh clouds; CicLAvia (2026) says the pearl and the dragons' eyes are illuminated at night. It stands over a live roadway.

ACCESS

Spans North Broadway at Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, at the southern edge of Chinatown, Los Angeles. It is over a public road, so view it from the surrounding streets and keep clear of traffic.

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