If concrete pillbox architecture appeals to you, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China will…read morefloat (or sink) your boat. Located in the newer Embassy Row off upper Connecticut Avenue in the Van Ness neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., it sits on a beautiful hilltop overlooking the University of the District of Columbia and surrounded by other diplomatic outposts for nations around the world. Impressive! I was there with scores of other folks to express our First Amendment Rights guanteed by the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution - Freedom of Speech and Assembly. Most of us were Chinese or Americans of Chinese decent. Others, like me came in support of loved ones who felt compelled to make their thoughts about the role of the CCP in the early spread of Covid -19, their new laws of suppression of the people of Hong Kong, and the re-education camps used to restrict the movement of the Uigher people of western China. We were polite and respectful, carried American flags and chanted peacefully for truth and change. During our three hours there our constant companions were a black clad troop of Secret Service agents and a friendly contingent of D.C. Metropolitan Police, who made sure we behaved and that no one bothered us. Their professionalism and diligence were greatly appreciated. Yelp is not a site for political discourse beyond the generalities stated here. Suffice it to say that it is possible to deeply love your homeland, but wish it to treat its citizens and those with whom they share this planet, with more respect and care. The arc of history bends toward freedom.

The embassy is awesome. It is enormous. I was impressed with all of the areas open to the public…read more This was more than just a tour. This was an experience. We arrived early to avoid a long line. There was a "mascot" panda circulating to help make the wait more enjoyable. There was beautiful art throughout the embassy. The lighting, the architecture and space was awesome. The circular stairs were beautiful. Whoever designed this building did a great job. I live for photo opps. There were so many. The multi-colored parasols were pretty. There were varied items throughout the facility - red lanterns, vases and awesome art. Air China had fun swag and useful information. There were musicians throughout the building. They played unique instruments, including a Pipa. There was a lot of things to see outside the building. Musicians played inside and outside the embassy. There were food samples outside. There was entertainment in front of the embassy. When we exited, a "dragon" was performing. The group was entertaining and agile! Just when we thought we had found all the fun photo opps, there was a photo booth with Chinese backdrops. UDC had free parking, right across the street. There is also free weekend parking near the embassy. There are rules posted with prohibited items that include: food, water and backpacks.

**Review for the annual EU Open House that happens in May everywhere**…read more Surrounding International Park are a number of embassies and the only two part of the EU Open House is Austria and Slovakia. Since the Austrian Embassy is off of Embassy Row, the lines are smaller especially if you go right at 10am. This embassy is larger than others so it feels less crowded. When you enter, there's a large room set up like a market with baked goods, clothes, and other things for sale. They also had a Photo Booth. The back room is where they have presentations and wine tasting. This embassy provided several snacks for visitors and a few vendors set up in its front patio.

Another embassy that surprises me by its modern appearance is this one…read more The interior is sunny with interesting watercolor painting high up on the walls. It has a nice large open space for entertaining. At the event they had great Austrian wines to sample and they actually gave you some background on each one. The Hillinger Zweigelt was my favorite; fruity with a black pepper zing to it. They say Whole Foods carries it @ around $12.99! I'd come back for a social event if they offer something to the public again. They had lots of information on tourism to share.

I came for passport dc and had the opportunity to vend it was An amazing experience just being…read moreimmersed by my culture and others who wanted to learn and explore

My actual experience getting my passport renewed was fine, but my rating is as low as it is because…read moreof the lack of communication. My passport expired right when Covid hit, so after I scheduled my appointment, I received no communication/updates as to how the embassy would handle rescheduling appointments for months. It was impossible to reach them by phone, email, and I even showed up in person on my initial appointment date in case it was still scheduled, and the gentleman there checking the mail just said they were closed to try back the next day. It's baffling and unacceptable how difficult it is to get in touch. That withstanding, I was able to reschedule my appointment 6 months later, and on my appointment date, everything went smoothly, quickly, and efficiently. Tips for anyone who has an appointment for a passport renewal: 1. Print the Passport Application form to be completed online 2. Print the Payment confirmation Slip 3. Print Acknowledgment Slip 4. Print a copy of the data page of Nigerian Passport 5. Bring the expired Nigerian Passport 6. Bring two current passport-size photographs preferably with white background 7. Bring a prepaid express USPS envelope or $30 in cash to have the passport mailed back to you 8. The embassy actually opens at 10am. The earlier you get there, the less you'll have to wait your turn.

A Dash of Singapore Culinary Diplomacy was an appropriate name for this event organized by the Asia…read moreSociety. As it was rare for me to encounter any sorts of events that were Singapore-related I instantly signed up for it. It was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore. The embassy was a significant piece of real estate right by Van Ness road which I paid no attention to despite having travelled through the area many times. The embassy's architecture, resonated a Singapore sensibility contemporary design mixed with the tropical minimalistic style. The interior of the embassy resembled a 5-star hotel, where luxury was met with function. The service was outstanding with an array of good wines, top shelf spirits and two thumbs up for the two types of sparkling water (Perrier and San Pellegrino). We met up with Yan Yan Kong a Chinese national who performed in the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. The Erhu soloist performed a few Singapore tunes that invoked the memories of the Island-Country. Also there was the writer of A Tiger in the Kitchen, Cheryl Tan who grew up here in the US. She gave us an insight of what inspired her to return to Singapore and her quest for inheriting recipes or cooking methods and culinary memories that had been a tradition in her family. She presented us with slideshows of the food she learned to cook that made us all salivate. After the presentation, we were invited to feast on a generous buffet of Singapore cuisine - mee siam, mee goreng, curry chicken, beef rendang, hainanese chicken rice and fried rice cakes. The Singapore-style desserts were also very tasty! All of a sudden I felt so grown-up! It was a wonderful evening at the Embassy with great hospitality that Singapore was known for! Bravo!

Super friendly staff and quick service. Made applying for a tourist visa feel like a visit to a spa!read more

Horrendous. The employees there, except for the woman that…read moredecided to assist someone, are simply collecting a paycheck and just clocking in and out for lunch. If anyone is wondering why Ghana has no significant following or interest to travel there, it is because of how inefficient and slow moving you all are to do your jobs. Even simple tasks that a toddler could do, you all don't have the energy to try. Rude. Inconsiderate. Embarassment to the country of Ghana. Incompetent. Shameful....unless everything we all have experienced collectively, is due to a SCAM being run out of this embassy.

please try and send family passport together in one returned envelope. or the emb should find a way…read moreto solved this problem

Judy Ann Rivers aka Judy Ann Cupp aka Judy Ann Kersey is terrorist at 210 North 1st Street,…read moreParagould, Arkansas. while in section 8 federal HUD at Carriage House Apartment, 2226 Merrill Circle, Forrest City, Arkansas raped 17 year old citizen female from Malaysia when a exchange student. the phone is non published and was 870-633-6522. 59 year old fired United Parcel Service employee Bryan Joseph Green is not law enforcement and his male lover 48 year old 9th grade drop out of Forrest City High School for 7 years starting in 1988 Craig David Cullum is nothing but freeloader 9th grade drop out and 23 years selective service failed per President Jimmy Carter in 1980 and President Clinton in 1996 and President Donald Trump in 2018. Candace Marie Emerson is 38 year old 4 count felon in 1998 pee Federal agents at Little Rock, Arkansas office 501-221-9100 ext 45633 and fax 501-228-8509.

We were invited to the Embassy residence for Dutch Tulip days. It's event they organize each year,…read moreevery time it has a theme. This year was 80 years of freedom. Honoring Rosie the Riveter, the US cemetery in Margraten and Anne Frank. We were welcomed by the head of communications. He told us a bit about the theme. After that we could roam around, take pictures and enjoy a cup of coffee. It was a wonderful Dutch event.

We were invited to the Netherlands Embassy residence to celebrate the tulips and more importantly,…read more80 Years of Freedom. The tulips are celebrated every year, but there is a theme also and this year, on May 5th, it is celebrating 80 years since the Dutch Liberation. The residence is decorated with tulips in many colors and several different types(there are double blooms which look like mums and some with a distinctive edging). We were welcomed by the Head of Public Relations who led the group of approximately 60 visitors upstairs to the Dining room and also to the Drawing room, both of which were beautifully festooned with tulips. There was also a tribute to Anne Frank. There were place cards on the table with excerpts from her Diary. There is large poster of Rosie the Riveter with 3500 tulips in front of her as a tribute to the women who did their part in WWII. This is in the Drawing Room. After our tour, we were welcomed to take photos of the rooms, hallways and the staircase, all decorated with tulips and to have a coffee, tea or orange juice( met een koekje).

This review is for the special events area only. I attended a shorts festival at the embassy and…read morethought the seats were the most comfortable of any small auditorium that I've visited in D.C. Staff were welcoming and the event ran smoothly. Kudos!

Out of all the embassies along Embassy Row, the Embassy of Italy is in one of the more modern…read morebuildings. If you're able to attend an event there, you'll see historic art and sculptures inside. Outside is green space that often houses tents during events.

The embassy is pretty. Security was visible and nice. The place was a bit crowded. There were many…read moreinteresting activities. The local customs/wardrobes were nicely shared. It was a shame not to have a better peek inside.

Efficient and extremely courteous service, like one encounters in almost every GCC country! An…read moreadvance multiple entry visa to Bahrain will set you back $77, so be prepared if that's the purpose of your visit. You can also get a visa upon arrival for the same amount (29 BD) but getting it in advance saves you about 15 minutes in the airport in Manama.

The staff at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC is very rude, often making us feel ashamed of…read morebeing from our own country. It's because of these corrupt individuals that dealing with our homeland becomes difficult. They prefer to argue rather than solve problems, lacking professionalism and courtesy. Such behavior demands that they be removed from their positions and barred from future government employment.In contrast to other countries' embassies, which aim to assist and resolve their citizens' issues. Our embassy, however, seems to create more problems for us. These diplomats are truly horrible and a disgrace to our nation. What a shame these individuals bring upon us.

I'm terribly disappointed in the consular services of the Pakistani DC embassy. I've been to…read morePakistan once before with no issues (I'm not Pakistani). Had a wonderful time there with my friends. I want to return to see them again, and the visa process is absolutely horrible. I planned to fly on Oct 8, 2022 and stay for about 3 weeks. In June, I went online for the visa application. The NADRA site was different than it was last time I traveled there. Now, they offer a "tourist visa in your inbox." So I applied for that online, reading everything very, very carefully to ensure I did it correctly. Almost the very next day, I had a travel authorization waiting in my email inbox. But: I had to use it within a certain timeframe - before August 31! The NADRA site did NOT explain this during the application process; it only said tourist visas take "7-10 working days" to process. So I had to wait until Sept to re-apply. I went into NADRA and applied for a regular tourist visa. It would not let me "submit," because the June application was still in the system, even though it expired. I emailed them and after about a week or 10 days, they finally cleared that one out, so I was able to re-apply for a regular tourist visa (like I did in 2019 - which, by the way, was a very easy process). The same day my submission went into the system, they emailed me asking for my sponsor's CNIC card and my driver's license. Again, these docs were not listed on the original application site as requirement! I obtained the "additional documents" and submitted them on Sept 13. I thought that I had plenty of time before the Oct 8 flight. Well, my application has been "in process" since Sept 13. I have emailed and left voice messages over and over again, because now, they only have 5 "working days" remaining to issue me the visa before my flight leaves. They have had my application "in process" for 14 working days - outside their "7-10 working days" window. No responses, no status, nothing. Even my Pakistani friends are trying to find out the issue on my behalf. Nothing. I paid for my flights and reserved my hotel rooms. I took time off of work. I coordinated for a dog/house sitter. I made a LOT of plans and reservations for October in Pakistan. For me to have to cancel everything, lose money from cancellation fees, and re-schedule if and when I ever get this visa is shameful. Just shameful. National security is important, yes. But so is customer service. This embassy evidently has none of the latter. I wish every one of those employees would go through this personally to see how disruptive it really is to people's lives. I leave it in God's hands. He knows best.