Chinatown welcomes illuminated arch

A £25,000 feature lighting scheme to improve the way the Chinese arch in Liverpool is presented is due to be switched on this week.

Liverpool City Council said the new lighting will provide "a colour wash over the arch and colour change on the front face". Additional lights will highlight the dragons at the base of the arch.

The Chinese arch, in Nelson Street, was completed in 2000. It is the largest in Europe standing 13.5 metres high and has 200 hand-carved dragons. A new column with low energy light fixings has been put in as part of the scheme.

Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: "This scheme for the Chinese Arch is part of our feature lighting programme for significant buildings in the city. It has given a new image to our city centre and provides an extra dimension to our architecture. This new scheme will make the Chinese Arch even more attractive and give a welcome boost to the area."