Restoring Chinatown Ceremonial Gates

Completed

Conservation and restoration works started in January 2025 and were completed in May 2025.

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Why we’re doing this

The Chinatown Ceremonial Gates are located on Dixon Street in Haymarket. They act as ceremonial archways to Chinatown.

Dixon Street is at the heart of Chinatown and is highly valued locally, especially for multiple generations of Chinese communities who have many memories of the area.

Completed in 1980, the gates were an initiative of the Dixon Street Chinese Committee established in 1971. Designed by architect Henry Tsang OAM, also an original member of the committee, the gates incorporate traditional Chinese design and ornamentation.

Both gates are symmetrical and largely identical besides unique individual decorative panels and are each accompanied by a pair of lion sculptures on plinths, intended to guard the entry.

In 2022 we worked with the local community to develop a vision for the future of Haymarket. We also invited feedback on our plans to improve Dixon Street.

The heritage listing and restoration of the gates is one of the projects identified as key to revitalising the area.

唐人街牌坊位于禧市德信街，是唐人街的出入口。

德信街地处唐人街中心地带，在当地极富盛名，尤其是对世代在此生活的华人社区而言，这里承载了他们许多的回忆。

德信街牌坊由1971 年成立的德信街华人委员会倡议修建，于1980 年竣工。牌坊由该委员会的首届委员，建筑师曾筱龙先生（Henry Tsang）设计，他也是澳大利亚勋章的获得者。曾筱龙先生采用了中式传统设计和装饰。

两座牌坊均衡对称，除各自不同的牌匾外，其它设计几乎完全相同，并都有一对石狮在此镇守。

2022 年，我们与当地社区合作制定了禧市未来愿景（vision for the future of Haymarket）。我们还就德信街的改造计划征求了社区的反馈意见。

将牌坊列入文物保护名录并进行修复是振兴该地区的重大项目之一。
唐人街牌坊位於禧市德信街，是唐人街的出入口。

德信街地處唐人街中心地帶，在當地極富盛名，尤其是對世代在此生活的華人社區而言，這裡承載了他們許多的回憶。

德信街牌坊由1971 年成立的德信街華人委員會倡議修建，於1980 年竣工。牌坊由該委員會的首屆委員，建築師曾筱龍先生（Henry Tsang）設計，他也是澳大利亞勛章的獲得者。曾筱龍先生採用了中式傳統設計和裝飾。

兩座牌坊均衡對稱，除各自不同的牌匾外，其它設計幾乎完全相同，都有一對石獅在此鎮守。

2022 年，我們與當地社區合作制定了禧市未來願景（vision for the future of Haymarket）。我們還就德信街的改造計劃徵求了社區的反饋意見。

將牌坊列入文物保護名錄並進行修復是振興該地區的重大項目之一。

Busy street with ornate gates leading into a tree-covered laneway. — The Chinatown Ceremonial Gates. Image: Katherine Griffiths/City of Sydney.

What we’re doing

The gates were heritage listed in April 2024.

Restoration of the gates is guided by a heritage study from GML Heritage Architects in consultation with Henry Tsang OAM.

Works include:

replacing the existing deteriorated concrete sculptures with granite lions in line with the original design. Northern and southern Chinese-style lions guard each gate, as Sydney is a sister city to Guangzhou in southern China and the existing lion sculptures are in the northern Chinese style only.
replacing the granite plinths.
upgrading the timber decorative panels and amending the original design to include the phoenix (female symbol) and dragon (male symbol).
replacing the ceramic roof tiles and restoring the 2 marble plaques on the north gate.
installing new lighting.

2024 年 4 月，牌坊正式列入文物保护名录。

GML Heritage Architects 建筑设计公司与澳大利亚勋章获得者曾筱龙先生进行磋商后，撰写了文物研究报告，用于指导牌坊的修复工作。

工程包括:
- 用符合原设计的花岗岩石狮取代现已破损的水泥狮子。原来我们只采用了北狮的设计。然而，悉尼与中国南方的广州广东是友好城市，因此，改造后两座牌坊将由南狮和北狮分别镇守。
- 更换石狮的花岗岩基座。
- 更新实木装饰牌匾，修改原设计，加入代表雌性的凤和代表雄性的龙。
- 更换牌坊顶的陶瓷瓦片，修复北牌坊上的两块大理石牌匾。
- 安装新照明装置。
2024 年 4 月，牌坊正式列入文物保護名錄。

GML Heritage Architects 建築設計公司與澳大利亞勛章獲得者曾筱龍先生進行磋商後，撰寫了文物研究報告，用於指導牌坊的修復工作。

工程包括:
- 用符合原設計的花崗岩石獅取代現已破損的水泥獅子。原來我們只採用了北獅的設計。然而，悉尼與中國南方的廣州廣東是友好城市，因此，改造後兩座牌坊將由南獅和北獅分別鎮守。
- 更換石獅的花崗岩基座。
- 更新實木裝飾牌匾，修改原設計，加入代表雌性的鳳和代表雄性的龍。
- 更換牌坊頂的陶瓷瓦片，修復北牌坊上的兩塊大理石牌匾。
- 安裝新照明裝置。