Los Angeles Chinatown Day Trip Things To Do & See

While it may not be as old or famous as San Francisco’s, Chinatown Los Angeles provides every bit of cultural history and makes a fun Los Angeles day trip. As you enter through its golden dragon gateway spanning Broadway Street, Los Angeles’ Chinatown is a five-block walkable area bound by Bernard Street to the north, Cesar Chavez Avenue to the south, North Main Street to the east, and Yale Street to the west.

Home to approximately 25,000 residents, this vibrant Asian community was first settled around 1938 and has grown into a self-sustaining pillar of the Los Angeles community and a popular tourist attraction. Dozens of restaurants, herbal shops, and temples with pagoda rooftops make up a tiny Asian world with its residents zigzagging their way through the ocean of sightseers and regulars.

LA Chinatown Central Plaza

The centerpiece of Los Angeles Chinatown is Central Plaza on N. Broadway near Bernard. The area has become an icon with its neon sign, featured in many Hollywood movies, including the Rush Hour trilogy, Lethal Weapon 4, and Roman Polanski’s 1974 classic Chinatown. Points of interest in the plaza dating back to the 1930s include a wishing well and one of the oldest fraternal organizations in Chinatown–Hop Sing Tong.

More recent additions to the Central Plaza are the concrete impressions of the hands of film star Chow Yun-Fat and a beautiful dragon mural painted by Chinese artist Tyrus Wong. Old Chinatown Plaza is 943 N Broadway, Los Angeles, California.

Chinese-American Museum Los Angeles

Before arriving at Los Angeles Chinatown, visitors may want to stop by the Chinese-American Museum in the nearby 44-acre El Pueblo historic district. Here, guests will learn more about the Chinese history in Los Angeles. The museum houses many ancient and contemporary arts, documents, images, and artifacts. The museum building is historic, one of the oldest surviving Chinese buildings in Southern California, and provides a beautiful platform to soak up, appreciate, and understand Chinese art, history, and culture. Website.

Chinatown Shops and Micro-Malls

Mixed in with the many alleyways, temples, and courtyards are several blocks of quirky shops and micro-malls peddling Chinese-theme souvenirs, knock-off designer brands, curio shops, jewelry stores, and delicatessens selling live fish and roast duck hanging in the window. The mini-malls in this area are also fun to explore. The little family-owned shops offer great value for those who know what they want. Even if you do not buy anything, seeing what is offered at these unique stores is all part of the fun when visiting Chinatown Los Angeles.

Foo Chow Restaurant Chinatown

If all this exploring makes you hungry, several restaurants serve different types of food, from Cantonese street food to dim sum. One place on your list should be Foo Chow Restaurant on N. Hill Street, with its “Rush Hour was shot here” painted onto the outside facade. While the fare is a standard menu of noodle dishes, fried pork, and chicken dishes, the real reason is to check out the stairway that Jackie Chan kicked the bad guys down in the blockbuster film Rush Hour. Many other restaurants in the area provide more traditional cuisine, and some have no English on the menu to add to the experience.

Must See Chinatown Los Angeles

A few other must-sees while visiting the Los Angeles Chinatown District are the Bamboo Plaza, which contains the famous Empress Pavilion Restaurant, the Chinese Confucius Temple and Chinese School, and the celebrated Phoenix Bakery. A seven-foot-tall bronze statue of Bruce Lee can be seen at Central Plaza. And one last must-see attraction is the giant Superior Poultry Chicken–a landmark in the center of Chinatown for more than 50 years.

Getting To Los Angeles Chinatown – Parking

Getting to Los Angeles’ Chinatown is easy. If you arrive by automobile, parking is available in several areas for a fair price. Public transportation is also available, as visitors may take the Metro link to Union Station and transfer to the Metro Gold Line to get to Chinatown. Next time you’re near downtown Los Angeles, visit Chinatown. Try an unfamiliar dish at a new restaurant, shop at a mini-mall, and have fun.

Nearby Los Angeles Chinatown

Olvera Street, Los Angeles

Olvera Street is a unique and enchanting place that stands out amidst the modern buildings, residential and commercial spaces, dining spots, and nightlife venues of Los Angeles. It is a historic landmark that has preserved its genuine character and perfectly embodies the city’s past.

Little Tokyo Los Angeles

Little Tokyo is in downtown Los Angeles and serves as the cultural hub for Japanese Americans in Southern California. The Japanese Village Plaza is the heart of Little Tokyo and a central location for community activities. You can quickly identify the plaza by the enormous wooden fire tower at the entrance. Once inside, you will discover many stores selling goods ranging from mochi ice cream to Japanese pastries and bread.

Grand Central Market LA

Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles is the perfect place for you if you are in search of spices, nuts, canned food, candy, produce, seafood, flowers, beer, meat, jewelry, liquor, a deli, fresh juice, or even just a plain old cup of coffee. They have everything covered, so you don’t need to go anywhere else!

Koreatown Los Angeles

When you think about “shopping” in LA, you might picture a fancy boulevard like Rodeo Drive or Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade. But Koreatown boasts some of the most impressive shopping in Los Angeles. Here, you’ll find multiple American-style malls filled with products and brands you won’t find anywhere else.