Chinatown

Be enchanted by the charming walkways and tiny shops of the second most active and authentic of Chinatowns on the west coast. Designed by Hollywood set designers for an oriental feel , today's LA Chinatown is not far from its original settlement recorded in 1852. It is a cultural and commercial center with businesses from restaurants to Chinese medicine centers and traditional sauces manufacturers. For the truly Chinese atmosphere amble along its narrow streets listening to the sounds of clicking mahjong tiles or watch the residents get up early and head for the park to practice Tai-Chi as the sun rises. LA Chinatown is also a popular film location with such movies like Rush Hour, Lethal Weapon 4 and of course, Roman Polanski's 1974 classic Chinatown shot exactly here. More Asian vibe, definitely not only of noodles or rice, is to be found in Little Tokyo Historic District, the cultural center for Japanese Americans in Southern California or the Koreantown, a home to more than 100,000 people and a district significantly larger than Little Tokyo and Chinatown combined.