We dreamt an orchard this way

We dreamt an orchard this way is a mural designed by artist Gina Kim as part of Porch Light’s AAPI Mural Series. The mural is located on the second story of the Vietnam Restaurant in Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood. This striking artwork was painted by lead muralist Kien Nguyen with assistance by Lucia Michel.

Kim’s mural focuses on the Chinatown neighborhood, a hub and symbol of Asian American culture. Partner organizations for this mural, who helped facilitate community engagement and provided insight into the history of the Chinatown neighborhood, included Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC), a non-profit whose mission is to preserve, protect, and promote Chinatown as a viable ethnic, residential, and business community, and Asian Arts Initiative, a multidisciplinary arts center connecting cultural expression and social change.

This project is the second within a series of five murals focusing on Philadelphia’s AAPI communities, which began in partnership with the Mayor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs and the Managing Director’s Office. The artists work with community members to amplify the voices of the AAPI communities and to quell the stigma toward the populations that has risen in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mural Arts Philadelphia hopes that the mural will act as a catalyst for community dialogue around building trust and understanding.