The Top 4 Chinatowns I Visited – Places Around The World!

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Happy Lunar New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Pronounced as gong she fa tsai (恭喜发财) or gong hei fat choy (恭喜發財) for the Cantonese (I’m pretty sure there are others but these are what I know of), we welcome the Year of the Ox this 2021 and this celebration made me think about all the Chinatowns I have visited around the world. It is a very important holiday in the Chinese calendar but it is also celebrated by other cultures. Tết Nguyên Đán in Vietnam, Losar in Tibetan culture, and Seollal in South Korea.

Also commonly known as the Spring Festival, the lunar new year happens any day between 21 January and 20 February. The Lunary New Year for 2021 happened on February 12. In honour of this big event, I decided to list the top Chinatowns I have visited around the world.

The Chinese New Year is the biggest and most influential lunar new year in the world and it is celebrated for 16 days. It’s amazing how this one event is celebrated in many different parts of the globe. Though if you’re like me, it’s an excuse to eat gourmet Chinese food and visit Chinatown in Toronto on Spadina Avenue or College Street.

Chinatowns Around The World

I’ve been to a lot of Chinatowns. Most of them in the U.S.A. and Canada because many have immigrated in these two land of opportunities. They’ve become tourist destinations and local favourites to get their Asian fix. I also been to the ones outside North America and I was impressed by their unique characters. I accidentally stumbled upon one in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and visited the one in Liverpool, England. These 4 Chinatown neighbourhoods are the ones I really liked the most from the ones I visited.

4. Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

Washington D.C.’s Chinatown is located right in the downtown core beside many famous landmarks in the city. It’s close to the Verizon Center (now called Capital One Arena), National Portrait Gallery, and Judiciary Square. If you’re taking the Metro, it’s the stop Gallery Place-Chinatown on the Green, Red, and Yellow line.

It is a must place to visit when you’re in D.C. Super busy and very lively any time of the day. There are various street performances right outside the Gallery Place. It has very good selection of Chinese restaurants and other Asian cuisines. There are not many Chinese that lives in the area as they have moved to the suburbs but the places to eat are still here.

This Chinatown is quite small compared to the other ones in the states but it’s a place I’m quite familiar with as I’ve lived in this area for three years. The District was literally my weekend day trips when I lived in Fairfax. The Blue line took me straight to Metro Center then I’d walk towards East End to Chinatown. There is a gate and the stores have Chinese characters with the English sign.

This one made it in the list because of emotional attachments. I’ve come to love this place because of all the good times I had here. I know this place like the back of my hand. The memories of hanging out here made me love this Chinatown. Eating after watching a game, shopping, getting my Chinese baked goods fix, and a good lunch before going to the National Portrait Gallery. It’s in a very good spot so I always end up here when I’m in downtown.

3. New York City, U.S.A.

Another Chinatown where I have emotional attachments plus it’s a very popular neighbourhood for locals and tourists. Bigger that the one in D.C., this one in The Big Apple definitely give you more of the Chinatown vibe. It smells Chinese. Asian fruits, vegetables and products from the supermarket, the smoke from the dumplings steaming in the kitchen, and the five spice smell leaving the restaurants.

It’s a very good place for Chinese food, Asian and non-Asian cuisines in the Manhattan island. The main roads are Canal Street, Mulberry Street, Mott Street, and Bayard Street. When you exit the Manhattan Bridge to enter the the Manhattan Island, you’re basically in Chinatown. I walk around here in the middle of the day or breakfast and I hop from one place to another getting the food their known for.

The close proximity of New York City to D.C. made this a weekend trip destination to me. I enjoyed this city so much that I even made day trips. There are many buses that leave midnight in D.C. and arrives in N.Y.C. in the morning. It only takes about 5-6 hours give and take with the traffic. I remember sleeping on the bus and waking up to see the Manhattan skyline right before my eyes. The first stop I actually go to is Chinatown because places would be open in the morning. I almost always had Chinese food first thing in the morning for breakfast. And also very cheap. Yes! There are many good cheap hidden gem eats here. This made the list because this foodie traveler loves delicious cheap Chinese food! It’s a very good destination for local and tourist foodies!

To name a few are Mei Lai Wah Bakery for $1.00 baked pork bun (cha siu bao), Joe’s Shanghai for soup dumplings, and tasty $4.00 fried dumplings at Vanessa’s Dumpling House. There is a location of the city’s famous local chain Xi’an Famous Foods for hand-pulled noodles, The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory which has very good selection of asian flavours, and Vivi Bubble Tea for bubbletea.

2. Kobe, Japan

Chinatowns in Japan. Yes, I didn’t believe they existed until I saw one. I haven’t thought of them since the main thing to do in Japan was to do Japanese things. But the one in Kobe is a tourist destination to the Japanese and the visitors of the country as well. This Chinatown is one of the three big Chinatowns in Japan. The biggest one is in Yokohama and the other one is in Nagasaki. In terms of aesthetics this one was really pretty.

Actually, my friend and her family were the ones who told me that there is a big Chinatown in the city that’s quite a popular tourist destination. When I think of Kobe, the only thing that came to my mind was Kobe beef. Why I went for a day trip in this city but I also ate xia long bao because I was in Chinatown.

There is a gazebo at the centre and it’s the ultimate spot for photos. The area is car-free so there are stalls in the middle of the street selling all types of goods and Chinese street food. Very much knowing it’s in Japan I’d say it’s a very clean Chinatown. I’ve been to many Chinatowns around the world, many in the U.S.A. and here in Canada. Not car-free, black garbage bags on the side, and loud angry Asians yelling left and right. Kobe had a different ambience compared to them. A very pretty Chinatown and I enjoyed this unique experience to visit a Japanese city with a Chinatown.

1. Singapore

Singapore is one amazing place where many cultures meet. The diversity of this country is impressive that keeps me coming back to this country. Their Chinatown has a very long history and a great Singapore heritage.

To get here, there’s a stop named Chinatown in their Subway line on the Downtown Line (Blue) and the North East Line (Purple). It’s hard not to miss. You’ll most likely exit on Pagoda street and you know your in Chinatown when you see English and Chinese characters on the buildings.

Singapore’s Chinatown has been around for centuries. Evident with all the preserved very well-maintained shophouses on the streets. The Chinese Singaporeans have far long settled here which makes Singapore’s Chinatown a famous tourist destination and local’s favourite. Grab amazing Chinese baked goods, dumplings, and other amazing dishes. You’ll find all these great food at the stores, street stalls and even at hawker centres. The very famous Maxwell Food Centre is here. A lot of the food found here are in my top Singapore food post! Take photos of the gate, shophouses, and lanterns. You’ll truly feel the China vibes. It is also very clean like Kobe since it’s in Singapore making this at the top of the list of the Chinatowns I visited around the world!

Architecture and food all in one place, this destination is my number one Chinatown. There’s so much legacy and rich in history. I was very impressed with all the heritages sites you will see here and the diversity included. Right beside the main gate is the Hindu temple Sri Mariamman Temple. A great example of great cultural diversity.

I enjoyed my time doing both local and touristy things here. Thankful for my Singaporean friend who took me around when I visited for a 3 days trip in 2015 and also on a 5 days trip in 2018. She was very knowledgeable to the things I like which is food, famous landmarks, and history so I learned a lot about this place. I do not mind stopping by here at all when I’m in Singapore for a long transit at Changi Airport.