Travel Through Photography: Get a taste of China...without leaving U.S.

您好 (hi). I love this interconnected world! I love the fact we can no longer view countries in isolation. They are slowly but surely all becoming part of one community– the global community. As an international studies major student who adores traveling and learning about cultures, I was fascinated to encounter the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington D.C.

Pictured above is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen - the Friendship Arch, a traditional Chinese gate that marks the H and 7th Street (the Chinese neighborhood of D.C.). This colorful $1 million work, designed by the local architect Alfred H. Liu, includes "7 roofs up to 60 feet high, 7000 tiles, and 272 painted dragons in the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties." The Arch was erected in 1986 to celebrate friendship with Washington's sister city of Beijing and was hoped to reinforce the neighborhood's Chinese character. The idea definately came through. By the way, the Chinatown area used to be populated by German immigrants, and only in the 1930s was it inhabited by Chinese immigrants.

Make sure to visit the Chinatown neighborhood when in Washington D.C. Get a taste of China without leaving the States. The area has all its signs in both English and Chinese. A good practice for those currently learning Chinese or those just considering it. 再见 (bye-bye).