Planning for an archway began in 1984, to be jointly funded by Washington DC's newly-announced sister city, Beijing. However, the largely anti-communist population of Chinatown, where the archway was to be located, disagreed with the involvement of mainland China and protested. Local architect
Alfred H. Liu designed the
Friendship Archway in 1985 after city officials rejected plans for twelve smaller arches to be placed throughout Chinatown, each decorated with one of the
Chinese zodiac animals. He was also chairman of the Chinatown Development Corporation, and had emigrated from
Taiwan to the United States as a teenager. On November 20, 1986, the city dedicated the traditional Chinese gate; the signatures of Mayors
Marion Barry (of Washington DC) and
Chen Xitong (of Beijing) are engraved on the dedication plaque at the monument's base. Meanwhile, the local
Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association announced plans for a second privately-financed gate at the neighborhood's eastern border, near 5th and H, although the financing fell through later. Erected to celebrate friendship with Washington's
sister city of
Beijing, However, by 1990, tiles had begun to fall from the roof, and in June of that year, a passing soda truck struck the head of a dragon, prompting the Department of Public Works to remove the tiles and ornaments. Because the tiles were set in October 1986, the cold temperatures may not have allowed the mortar to set properly. In 1993, the
Friendship Archway underwent a major renovation funded by D.C. and Chinese governments.
Artisans from China performed extensive repairs on the archway and repainted its decorations. In 2020, it underwent restoration for faded and peeling paint and tiles. ==Design==