Did you know LA has a #Chinatown? Even though it was the actual title of one of the most famous classic movies set here, people always seem to forget.
••
Though this part of the neighborhood - Chung King Road - looks almost like a movie set, it is an extremely vibrant place. Art galleries have popped up all along the street, and restaurants with authentic Cantonese cuisine (and other East Asian specialties) can be found in all directions. Even though you will find a few “Chinese-American” dish staples on the menu (Americanized fare) at most places, a lot of the food here has been brought over unchanged from mainland China.
••
Opened in the 1930s as “new Chinatown”, the neighborhood was the first Chinatown in the US to actually be owned by its Chinese residents. This is not to say that Chinese immigrants in LA were treated well overall; the original Chinatown community, built in the 1880s, was razed to make way for Union Station, and the Chinese population, especially during the years of the Exclusion Act, experienced horrible treatment, even including an 1871 massacre of Chinese residents which LA doesn’t like to bring up or remember.
••
But despite all the decades since and pressure on the community, Chinatown has not only survived, but is actually thriving today, attracting residents from all over the city thanks to some truly incredible food, art, and classic temples. So go visit! Once a month there is a walking tour of the neighborhood, and you can also learn a fair amount of history (if you’re a nerd like me).
.
.
.
.
Share this Post
