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Chinatown is the center of the Chinese community in Chicago. While gentrification has watered down many of the ethnic neighborhoods in the city, Chinatown still goes strong and continues to grow.
History of Chinatown Chicago
The first Chinese immigrants arrived in the city around 1869 after the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. They had faced discrimination and economic hardships on the West Coast and looked elsewhere for opportunity. The early Chinese community was centered in the Loop, on Clark Street between Van Buren and Harrison, where most opened grocery stores, laundry businesses, or restaurants. This is known as Old Chinatown. Unfortunately, at the turn of the century many Chinese Chicagoans began to face discrimination.
The current Chinatown was formed on the South Side of Chicago around 1912, when families began to move to the Armour Square neighborhood. It grew quickly and eventually housed over ⅓ of the entire Chinese community in Chicago.
Today, Chinatown Chicago is one of the largest concentrations of Chinese-Americans in the country. It’s a popular destination for both locals and tourists full of Chinese restaurants, shops, and grocery stores. It’s also a community and business hub for Chinese-Americans in the midwest.
Family Associations in Chinatown Chicago
Family associations were set up by Chinese immigrant families in Chinatown Chicago and Chinese neighborhoods all over the country. They were important organizations designed to help immigrants and members of the community find work, housing, make family connections, and build friendships. One of the most impressive of these buildings is the Moy Shee Dong Kungsaw Family Association Building at 2238 S. Wentworth.
Getting to Chinatown Chicago
If you don’t have your own transportation, you can reach Chinatown by taking the Red Line to the Cermak-Chinatown station.
During the summer, you can take the Chicago Water Taxi from Michigan Avenue or Madison Street. It cruises along the Chicago River to Ping Tom Memorial Park.
Wentworth Avenue
The heart of Chinatown Chicago runs south for a few blocks down Wentworth Avenue from Cermak Road. This is where you’ll find most of the restaurants, shops, and cultural attractions.
Chinatown Gate
The Chinatown Gate, which was built in 1975, is the official entrance to Chinatown Chicago. It was designed by Peter Fung and modeled after a gate in Beijing. The characters in the center of the gate translate to “the world belongs to the commonwealth”, which was a popular expression in the early 20th century.
On Leong Building
The most spectacular building in Chinatown is just inside the gate. The On Leong Building opened in 1928 and was designed by architects Christian S. Michaelsen and Sigurd A. Rognstad. It was commissioned by the On Leong Merchants Association, who helped transition the move of the Chinese community from their first neighborhood in the Loop to the current Chinatown. The Pui Tak Center, which occupies the building today, functions as a social service agency. While walking past the building, pay attention to the colorful ceramic decorations.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum
The Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum is further down Wentworth on the east side of the street. It was established by the Taiwan Nationalist Party and dedicated to Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) in the hopes that China would one day embrace democracy. The museum chronicles his time as a boy in Hawaii, the 1911 Chinese Revolution, and his death in 1925. It’s open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5pm and admission is free (as of March 2024).
Chinese Christian Union Church
Two churches are located in the historic Chinatown area. The first is the Chinese Christian Union Church at the corner of Wentworth and 23rd. It was founded in 1915 and has been in its current location since 1927. It holds services in different Chinese dialects.
St. Therese Chinese Catholic Church
The other church is the St. Therese Chinese Catholic Church on Alexander. Its history shows how the neighborhood has changed over the years. The church once served the area’s Italian residents by performing services in Italian, then in Croatian when it made the transition to a Croatian neighborhood, and now Chinese. Two Chinese lions sit out front and the crucifix behind the altar was donated by the mother of notorious gangster Al Capone (1899-1947).
Chinese-American Museum of Chicago
The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago is located on 23rd Street. This small but modest museum opened in 2005. A suggested donation of US$8 (as of March 2024) keeps the museum running. It’s typically open Friday through Sunday and Wednesdays. Check the official website for operating hours.
The museum is housed in a warehouse constructed in 1896 and was later home to the Quong Yick Co. The permanent exhibit, Great Wall to Great Lakes: Chinese Immigration to the Midwest, tells the story of Chinese immigration to Chicago and the United States, highlighting both their struggles and successes. There’s also a nice 16-minute film presentation, My Chinatown: Stories from Within, tells the stories of the people living in Chinatown Chicago.
Chinese Pavilion and Nine Dragon Wall
Just outside the Red Line station along Cermak, you’ll see the Chinese Pavilion and Nine Dragon Wall. The Nine Dragon Wall is one of only three outside of Beijing. Over 500 dragons are represented along with nine larger and more colorful dragons.
Chinese American Veterans Memorial
To the west at the corner of Cermak and Archer is the Chinese American Veterans Memorial, dedicated to the thousands of Chinese Americans who have served in the United States military. It was unveiled in 2005
Chinatown Square
Along Archer Avenue is Chinatown Square. This modern strip mall was built in 1993 and is the largest Chinese mall in the country east of San Francisco. It features a square with statues of the 12 zodiac symbols built by art students from Xiamen University.
A mosaic on the north side of the square was completed by artists Yan Dong and Zhou Ping, who used over 100,000 hand-cut glass tiles. It highlights the history and accomplishments of Chinese immigrants in America.
Ping Tom Memorial Park
Finally, on the north side of Chinatown Chicago is Ping Tom Memorial Park. It’s a 17-acre public park on the south bank of the Chicago River. It features walking trails, a Chinese garden, pagoda-style pavilion, and a Chicago Water Taxi stop. The park opened in 1999 and is named for Ping Tom (1935-1995), a businessman and community leader.
The annual Chicago Dragon Boat Race takes place along the river at the park. There are also Chinese dragon columns at the entrance to the park. Some columns just like them have been placed at major intersections throughout Chinatown. North of the 18th Street bridge that spans over the park, there are some nice views of the skyline. Ping Tom Memorial Park was designed by architect Ernest C. Wong.
Where to Eat in Chinatown Chicago
Chinatown Chicago has a plethora of great Chinese restaurants to choose from. Unfortunately for me, my experience is limited to just two. I plan on going back often to try more.
Triple Crown Restaurant
My first dining experience Chinatown was in the early 2000s at the Triple Crown Restaurant on Wentworth. They serve Hong Kong-style dim sum all day and have been around since 1996. I visited with a group of friends for lunch and it was actually my very first experience with dim sum. It was so long ago I don’t recall exactly what we ordered, but I remember everything was delicious.
On my second visit many years later, I was exploring Chinatown alone and of course wanted to try one of the restaurants. I immediately recognized Triple Crown and went inside. Instead of dim sum, I opted for a lunch special and had a spicy Mongolian beef. It came with rice and green tea and was excellent.
Emperor’s Choice
When I visited with my wife Marisol on her first trip to Chicago in 2017, she wanted to try some authentic Chinese food. We walked around for a bit and settled on Emperor’s Choice on Wentworth. It was well past the normal lunch hours and the restaurant was completely empty.
We tried the egg drop soup, egg rolls, and crab rangoon to start. The main course was a combo lo mein with beef, chicken, and shrimp. Everything was great and we would go back there again.
1 Comment
Muy interesante. Quiero ir allí…