Cultural Tour 3

China Town

Los Angeles, California

North Gateway to Chinatown in Los Angeles, CA.

Statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, founder of Republic of China.

During my trip to Los Angeles to visit Asian cultural sites, I stopped into the area known as Chinatown. I learned that this area is actually the second iteration as the original site was torn down to build what is now known as Union Station, the cities metropolitan transportation system hub for rail and bus lines connecting passengers throughout the city. Chinatown is a small neighborhood that includes shops, restaurants and businesses catering to the Chinese population in Los Angeles.

I first walked into the town center at the heart of the area and the architecture stood out immediately as being influenced by traditional Chinese design queues and motifs. The buildings are distinctly Chinese as well as the embellishment of lighting fixtures, staircases, artwork and signage throughout the center.

We stopped at the wishing fountain to throw a few coins into the bowls for good luck and say a prayer. Superstition is very pronounced in this culture as could be identified by this water-feature and many other prayers and messages seen adorning the entry way to most of the businesses in the plaza.

A statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen who founded the Republic of China sits at the east entrance to the plaza and was surrounded by men playing checkers and other games of chance. Gambling is very prevalent in Chinese culture as noted above. In talking with some of the people playing games they mentioned how they wished they were in Las Vegas. From a business standpoint, Casino owners have actively worked to tailor to the Chinese guest experience while visiting their casinos as they know how critical it is to take care of these most important customers.

Chinatown was an interesting location and I will likely be heading their again to partake on the cuisine which I did not have a chance to experience this time around. I also look forward to learning more about how this neighborhood will grow in the coming years as China becomes more powerful and influential in the world as this may become a landmark site for learning how to exchange ideas and plans for working together in the future.