Chinatown Information

Source: Chinatown information

Description: Beyond the colorful Chinatown Friendship Gate at 10th and Arch streets lies Philly’s vibrant Asian enclave, originally settled in the mid-19th century by Cantonese immigrants.

On any given day or night, Chinatown pulses with sensory pleasures, including fantastic food and an abundance of activities. Visitors can look forward to acclaimed chefs serving steaming platters of hand-stretched noodles seasonal street festivals the locally guided tours and more.

Stretching from Arch Street to Vine Street, and from 11th street to 8th Street, the neighborhood is packed end-to-end with restaurants and stores that represent Hong Kong, Cantonese, Fujianese, Northern Sichuan and Taiwanese cultures, with a sprinkling of Korean, Thai, Malaysian, Burmese, Vietnamese and American hipster thrown in for good measure.

A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of Chinese or Han people located outside of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan, most often in an urban setting. Areas are known as “Chinatown” exist throughout the world, including Asia, Australia, the Americas, Africa, and Europe. The development of most Chinatowns typically resulted from mass migration to an area without any, or with very few Chinese residents. Binondo in Manila, established in 1594, is recognized as the world’s oldest Chinatown. Notable early examples outside Asia include San Francisco’s Chinatown in the United States and Melbourne’s Chinatown in Australia, which was founded in the mid-19th century during the California gold rush and Victoria gold rush respectively. A more modern example, in Montville, Connecticut, was caused by the displacement of Chinese workers in the Manhattan Chinatown following the September 11th attacks in 2001.

Website: https://www.visitphilly.com/areas/philadelphia-neighborhoods/chinatown/