The Smallest Chinatown in the World

No matter where you go in the world, in almost every large city you will find a Chinatown. Mexico City is no different, but what sets this Chinese hub aside is its tiny size. Covering but a single block, this Mexican Chinatown is probably the smallest in the world.

Mexico City’s Chinatown, known locally as Barrio Chino, is located in the middle of the historic center. It is very small, covering just a single block, and consists of little more than a small number of Chinese restaurants, a few businesses, some statues and an arch.

Just recently, I decided to explore this little chinatown. My first stop was The Chinese Arch, a monument constructed in an effort to convert the small neighborhood into a tourist attraction. The arch and the two flanking lion statues show a very characteristic traditional Chinese style. This distinctive appearance makes them stand out against the surrounding historical Mexican buildings.

Passing by the arch, I continued along Dolores street. As you can see by the red lanterns and the left over paper garlands, they had just celebrated New Year.

As you could have guessed, the main attraction to visit Chinatown are the Chinese restaurants. Everybody loves Chinese! Sadly, being so close after the Chinese New Year, most of them were closed, and I left as hungry as I arrived.

Walking down the street you do not really feel like you’re in a Chinese street. Behind the cheerful and colorful Chinese decorations you can still see parts of the original Mexican historic facades.

I truly enjoyed this short visit and will definitely come back another day to still my urge for tasty Chinese food!

2013-03-24 #Orte #red #culture #chinatown #mexico #chinese #smena-8m #china #historic-center #location #mexico-city #fuji-superia-x-tra-400 #urban-adventure