New mural symbolizes strength and vitality in Chinatown

Philadelphia latest mural is soaring into view on the Crane Building in Chinatown.

Located at 10th and Vine streets on the west wall of the building, the mural was commissioned by the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, as part of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority’s Percent for Art Program, which is also in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation. 

Expected to be complete mid-November, the crane mural is meant to signify blessings for a good future for the Chinatown community. The three Philadelphia based artists leading the mural project are Chenlin Cai, Eurhi Jones and Yvonne Lung. 

“As a foreigner, I use murals in America to promote the Asian cultures I represent,” said Cai. 

An artist from Fujian, China, Cai has worked on more than a dozen murals in Philadelphia and in surrounding areas of New York City and New Jersey. Jones has a mixed heritage, being Korean and Welsh—her parents met in Korea in 1960—but Jones grew up in Philadelphia. She has made dozens of murals around the city and has mainly worked with Mural Arts Philadelphia. Lung is Chinese American and was born in Queens. She has exhibited and curated art exhibitions in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, and Texas, to name a few. 

With the growing development around Chinatown, the Crane Building has become a cornerstone for the community. The Crane Building has worked to improve the quality of life for the Chinatown neighborhood and its community members, with an emphasis on retirees and newly immigrated community members looking for a safe communal space to be in. The building offers family programs, youth and senior programs, educational and health services, business spaces and housing. It also hosts social, recreational and cultural events. 

“The rising of the crane out of Chinatown truly feels like its a phoenix rising out of the ashes,” said Lindsey Rosenburg Project Manager at Mural Arts Philadelphia. “Crane Chinatown is the heart of the community symbolizing strength and vitality.”