Colors of Light: Gateway to Chinatown

Chinatown & Center City East


Bursting out the side of a building on the corner of Vine and 12th Sts, this 1999 Mural Arts project is inspired by the Asian American community. With its flying dragon, playing kids and Chinese scroll it forms a northern gateway to Chinatown.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chinatown & Center City East attractions

1. Vox Populi

0.13 MILES

Founded in 1988 this artist collective gallery is one of the city's leading contemporary art spaces. Their diverse programming includes monthly…

3. Pennsylvania Convention Center

0.19 MILES

Opened in 1993 and expanded in 2011, this massive convention center hosts a busy program of events from the mayor's masked ball and annual horticultural…

4. Fabric Workshop & Museum

0.24 MILES

The only such organization of its kind in the US is a wonderful place to discover how creative artists and craftspeople can be with textiles and fabrics…

5. Center / Architecture + Design

0.24 MILES

Run by the American Institute of Architects, there's an exhibition space here with regularly changing exhibits about local architecture projects. Check…

6. Chinese Friendship Gate

0.27 MILES

At the junction with Arch St and marking the entrance to Chinatown, this 40ft structure was built in 1984 in part by artisans from Philadelphia's sister…

7. Paint Torch

0.27 MILES

This 51ft fiberglass paintbrush with an accompanying giant blob of paint is a 2011 work by Claes Oldenburg. At night the orange paint-coated bristles of…

8. Rail Park

0.27 MILES

The old Reading Viaduct is the location of the first phase of this ambitious project to reuse 3 miles of decommissioned rail lines between Fairmount Park…