Los Angeles Chinatown | Photo Credit: Krista

Cuisine. Shopping. Architecture. Neon Lights. History – Chinatown has it all.

Centrally located in the heart of Los Angeles, Chinatown is a small neighborhood (approximately one square mile) that offers unique dining and shopping experiences year-round. A few blocks from Union Station and Olvera Street, north of the 101 and east of the 110 freeways, Chinatown is a favorite destination for locals and visitors alike.

At the core of Chinatown is a historic area known as Old Chinatown that has been there for over 75 years. Whether you enter through the West Gate on N. Hill Street or through the East Gate on N. Broadway, exploring along Gin Ling Way and Mei Ling Way is a delight for the senses.

Several years ago, I visited Chinatown a few times with friends for dim sum at Empress Pavilion. Earlier this year, I discovered the Old Chinatown area while on a walking tour with Charles Phoenix. This part of Chinatown has been the backdrop for both TV shows and movies through the years and has remained nearly the same since the 1940s. Let’s take a closer look at LA’s Old Chinatown:

Cuisine – Many options from basic and traditional to fancy and elaborate Chinese fare. Be sure to check out these places:

Hop Louie Restaurant | Los Angeles Chinatown | Photo Credit: Krista

Hop Louie = basic Chinese fare and kitschy dive bar in an iconic building complete with a multi-story pagoda.

Phoenix Bakery = bakery with Chinese treats.

Outside “Old Chinatown” is Empress Pavilion = known for its dim sum and fine dining.

Shopping – Old Chinatown is an open-air Asian themed shopping area with a variety of shops ranging from simple trinkets to exquisite pieces of art.

Gold Dragon Gifts | Los Angeles Chinatown | Photo Credit: Krista

Architecture – Everywhere you look in Chinatown, there is iconic Chinese architecture with symmetry, courtyards, symbolic colors, and water sources. Be sure to make a wish at the wishing well – it’s a detailed replica of China’s Seven Stars Caverns.

Los Angeles Chinatown Architecture | Photo Credits: Krista

Neon Lights – If you are able to visit Chinatown in the evening, be prepared for a display of vintage neon lights. Some of the neon displays were designed in the late 1930s/early 1940s and continue to light up the night.

Evening scene at Chinatown in Los Angeles, CA | Photo Credit: Getty Images, Gary Conner

History – The current location of Old Chinatown is not the original location of LA’s Chinatown. Originally, Chinatown (dating back to the 1870s) was where Union Station is today. In the late 1930s, Chinatown was relocated so Union Station could be built. Several influential Chinese Americans, including You Chung Hong, designed many aspects of the 1930s “New Chinatown” which has become the “Old Chinatown” we enjoy now.

You Chung Hong’s story is an interesting one. He was the first Chinese American lawyer to pass the bar and practice law in California. He opened a law practice in Chinatown on Gin Ling Way. After being closed to the public for several years after his death in the late 1970s, the law offices of You Chung Hong are open to the public and are like walking into a time capsule of furniture and interior design from the 1950s era.

You Chung Hong’s law offices were on the 2nd floor of this building on Gin Ling way | Chinatown Los Angeles | Photo Credits: Krista

Fun Fact: Fortune cookies were actually first created in America, not China!

The next time you’re in Los Angeles, if you have a chance to visit Chinatown you should. There’s something for everyone – cuisine, shopping, architecture, neon lights, and history.

Now it’s your turn: What parts of Chinatown are you looking forward to exploring?

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