Chinatown is located in Downtown Los Angeles in a roughly 15 square block area bounded by Bernard and Yale Street, and Alameda and Sunset Boulevard. It is relatively small compared to the size of its counterparts in other major U.S. cities. Its collection of chinoiserie buildings and modern plazas serves as a center for some 175,000 residents of Chinese descent. Although there aren’t any major tourist sights here except a giant gold-colored statue of Sun Yat-sen who was the first president of the Chinese Republic, Chinatown is a great place to visit as a dining destination. There are a number of casual restaurants serving various Chinese and Asian cuisines. You can also find a jumble of herbalists, supermarkets, curio and souvenir shops, and discount stores. And the area plays host to the annual Chinese New Year Parade in late January or early February.
Chinatown’s history dates back to 1850 when there were two Chinese men living among LA’s 1,600. More Chinese arrived with the growing need for laborers and railroad workers. However, an ugly incident in 1871 led to a racist mob killing 19 Chinese men. By the early 20th century, the number of Chinese residents grew to 2,000, most of them working as independent vegetable farmers and peddlers and living along the streets and alleys east of Olvera Street.[1]
References:
Michelin Travel Publications. California. Greenville: Michelin Travel Publications, 2001. ISBN: 2060001315.
[1] Michelin, 137
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