Chinese shopping districts can be found in every large city, and like other Chinatowns in other cities, Los Angeles' Chinatown is always a bustling, crowded shopping district. In Chinatown, you'll find traditional Chinese cuisine such as dim sum, as well as street vendors and tons of shops where you can find just about everything.
Spending an afternoon and evening in Chinatown is one of my favorite things to do with my girlfriends. Chinatown is a colorful, cultural, architectural, dining and shopping experience. I just love to be so close to home but yet feel that I'm in another world.
I usually start my day in the original Chinatown area called Central Plaza on Gingling Way. Central Plaza has a fantastic variety of stores, buildings and an elaborate rock garden – inspired wishing well. The plaza is a great place to take a break on a bench and for people watching.
My favorite Restaurant for lunch is "Hop Louie". The Hop Louie Restaurant Pagoda is the focal point of Central Plaza. Formerly the Golden Pagoda Restaurant, it was originally constructed in 1941. The five tier pagoda is gorgeous and it's the last major built in today's New Chinatown Central Plaza. The food is descent and inexpensive.
Another fun and popular Restaurant for lunch is the Empress Pavilion. You have to try the Dim Sum Lunch on which you can feast on everything from pork dumplings to sesame sponge cake. The Chinese call the little delicacies "dim sum", which translates into "touching your heart".
After lunch explore the Art galleries and Antique stores on Chungking road in the west plaza.
Outside central plaza on north Broadway is Chinatown's largest store, Wing Hop Fung, where the medicinal aroma of ginseng and other Chinese herbs wafts through the lower floor. Upstairs is a colorful bazaar of paper dragons, lanterns and all types of bargains.
Bargains – that's part of the fun, finding a treasure you like and chasing down the best price – or staying to bargain with the shopkeeper.
Down the street at the corner of Ord Street and North Broadway is a group of colorful stalls offering everything from peacock feathers to those nifty ‘70s beaded curtains, tiny faux jade Buddhas {one each for health, wealth, fertility and other good fortunes}, and giant vases with chinese floral designs to create an eastern ambience on your patio.
A great place to find gifts for all occasions, and the perfect Chinese outfit for your next Asian theme party.
Chinatown has several Bars to explore in the evening. Enjoy a well deserved cocktail after a long hard day of shopping
When you think of Chinatown you may just think of one particular place. What you’ll find though is both Old Chinatown and New Chinatown, both with their different exotic sights, incredible smells of authentic Chinese food, and the many different shops and stores that hold treasures for everyone.
Walking the streets of Chinatown is by far the best way to get around. It is a simple trolley ride on the Gold line or you could take the Dash Minibus B from downtown Los Angeles. You can jump off right as you get to the base of Chinatown and you’re on your way.
With the many shops, restaurants, and décor of the architecture, the color and appearance makes it a popular tourist spot, as well as a place locals like to go to experience a culture that may be far from the norm in Los Angeles. You’ll know when you reach Chinatown by the landmark East Gate on N. Broadway. From there you can start your own self guided tour of Chinatown or you can take one of the many guided tours that lead you in to the most well sought after parts of Chinatown that few people know about.
You’ll most likely start with the Golden Pagoda which is about 50 feet high and one of the last newer buildings that was built in Chinatown. Although typically a tourist spot, it is a sight to behold. You can then make your way over to The Seven Star Cavern Wishing Well. With the magnificent architecture around this wishing well, it’ll be hard not to see the splendor of Chinatown in all of the old and new glory.
Meander your way through the alleys and you’ll find some of the most sought after Chinese herbs that have been used traditional Chinese medicine and teas for thousands of years. Fresh and ready to be bought, you’ll learn quite a bit about prolonging your life with the likes of ginseng root, pearl pills, and even gecko lizards.
For a little fun you should stop by the fortune cookie factory and see how they are really made. Sure, it’s a little self indulgent, but who doesn’t want to know how those tiny papers really get in those cookies? While you are being self indulgent, it may be time to eat by now. The Stockton Street food market is just the place to stop. Whether it’s Dim Sum you’re craving or a more exotic cuisine that you have yet to try, you’ll find it here. You may even pick up a few authentic foods to take home and try to make yourself.
For the art and history lover, Chung King Road is a must. They will do art openings in the evening that give you a chance to enjoy the beautiful and moving pieces of art. After you take in your fair share of culture you can hit the bars or more restaurants to talk late into the night with your friends. Chinatown is more than just a place to buy silk; it is a cornucopia of knowledge, food, culture, and fun.
