Chinatowns in the US are usually the same all over - Chinese food stalls, Chinese sculptures, Chinese people, altogether a piece of China in the heart of US. During your visit to Los Angeles, do not miss the Chinatown.

The main point of interest regarding the Los Angeles Chinatown is the food. Though termed as Chinatown, this township features cuisines from other Asian countries as well. These include Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian cuisine. The China town offers authentic Chinese cuisine from its various provinces like the Cantonese roast duck or the Szechuan style shrimp. Food consists of noodles, rice, poultry, seafood, pork and dim sum. Some Chinatown food joints offer traditionally cooked food whereas others offer food cooked in an Americanized way.

Shopaholics in Chinatown can buy things that reflect the culture of the Chinese community. These may include dragon masks, good-luck pendants, Feng-Shui products, Buddha models, various other handicrafts, artifacts and souvenirs that would remind them of their visit to the China town. The best part of these gifts is that these are pretty inexpensive.

Outsiders are advised to avoid the open markets. This is because the open markets often sell shark fins, sea horses and sea cucumbers that are considered to be Chinese delicacies. For the outsiders the very sight of these items might seem to be gory.

The Chinese architectures and temples along with the red lanterns lend a kind of creepy ambience to the Chinatown. For a moment visitors might feel as if they have been transported out of US to someplace else. It is this feeling and the various authentic cuisines that have kept on attracting visitors and tourists every year.

Chinatown in Los Angeles is located in Downtown Los Angeles. The city enhances the food, culture, history and tradition of China. You can find numerous Chinese restaurants around Chinatown. The city is visited by numerous people because of its Chinese tradition and food.

The most popular Chinese restaurants located in Chinatown, Los Angeles are Empress Pavilion, Yang Chow, Ocean Seafood restaurant, Abc Seafood, Mayflower Seafood, and many more. All these Chinese restaurants provide Chinese items with traditional taste and flavor.

Chinese Restaurants in Chinatown, Los Angeles

http://www.urbanspoon.com/nf/5/411/412/LA/Chinatown/Chinese-Restaurants

Yang Chow seafood restaurant in Chinatown

http://www.yangchow.com/menu.html

Ocean Seafood Restaurant

http://www.oceansf.com/rest.html

The Yang Chow Restaurant is the best Chinese restaurant which serves the southern California with three locations. The restaurant is home to famous Slippery Shrimp. The restaurant was opened in the year 1977 in the heart of Chinatown. The favorite menus of the restaurant are Shrimp toast, spring roll, fried shrimp, chicken and cold noodles, chicken salad and more. The items here taste with authentic flavor.

The Chinese seafood restaurant is the Hop Li restaurant in Chinatown. This seafood restaurant will be opened from 11am to 10pm. The menu of the restaurant features lunch menu, dinner menu, and house special. The special items of the hotel are shrimp with honey, mango chicken, mixed sea food and fried tofu and many more. The rates of all items are affordable and you can enjoy a tasteful Chinese seafood items here.

The Ocean Sea food is the restaurant which is specialized in Chinese cuisines. Here in this restaurant you can also have the facility of catering services. The restaurant offers classic Chinese, Hong Kong, and sea food collections. The menu includes dinner, Dim sum and banquet menu.

Hop Li Restaurant in Chinatown

http://www.hoplirestaurant.com/chinatown.html

Menu of Hop Li Restaurant in Chinatown

http://www.hoplirestaurant.com/hopli1specials.pdf

Chinatown is the town located in Downtown Los Angeles. The town is home to unique shops, services and cultural centers. The city is visited by millions of people every year for its unique Chinese food, and Chinese culture. The city enhances the tradition and culture of china.

The visitors have a wide range of lodging choices around the city. The accommodations are classified as inns, bed and breakfast, hotels, motels, and rental properties. The rental apartments are available for rental for day, week, month, and also for the duration of your stay.

Rental lodging facilities in Chinatown, Los Angeles

http://www.yellowbook.com/yellow-pages/?what=apartments&where=chinatown%2C+los+angeles%2C+ca

Hotels and lodging facilities in Chinatown Lo0s Angeles

http://www.chinatownla.com/businesses.php?c=3&categoryId=12

Unique lodging facility in Chinatown

http://www.kyotograndhotel.com

The best rental apartments in Chinatown, Los Angeles are Casanova Garden Apartments, Cathy Manor Apartments, Grand plaza Apartments, and many more. The best hotels to stay in Chinatown are Best western dragon gate inn, Days inn Downtown, Metro Plaza hotel, Royal Pagoda motel and more.

The Omni hotels and resorts is the luxurious hotel in Chinatown. This is the historic hotel located in the heart of the Downtown Los Angeles. The hotel is located in a 17 story building and easy access to major attractions of the city. This is the hotel where you have a comfortable stay and in an affordable rate.

The premier hotel in downtown Los Angeles is the Royal Pagoda motel. The motel is home to celebrities. The guest rooms are available in double and king size. The motel's amenities are air conditioning, magnetic keys, smoking rooms, wake-up calls, cable TV, refrigerator, and microwave.

The Best Western Dragon gate inn is the AAA 3-Diamond hotel in the downtown Los Angeles. The hotel features around 52 guest rooms with Chinese accents. The international metropolitan hotel in Los Angeles is the Metro Plaza Hotel.

Premier Motel in Chinatown Lo Angeles

http://royalpagodamotel.com/amenities.html

Comfortable and luxurious hotel in Chinatown, LA

http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/LosAngelesCaliforniaPlaza.aspx

Comfortable AAA hotel in Chinatown LA

http://www.dragongateinn.com/

Chinatown is one of the highlights in the downtown area of Los Angeles. While traveling through the city, you can plan a day trip to Chinatown by the metro. You can have access to the amazing Chinatown representing the Chinese culture in Los Angeles by the Metro Gold Line. Experience Asian hospitality, enjoy the music and savor the taste of Chinese food in this part of Los Angeles.

Metro Gold Line to Chinatown

http://www.experiencela.com/Adventures/Chinatown.htm

A large number of shops can be found in Chinatown and it holds events like Taste of Chinatown and Lunar New Year. Take the metro and arrive at the Chinatown station and proceed towards College Street where you will find most of the entertainment centers. You will find the Chinese American Museum in the old address of Chinatown. This is the last remaining construction of the Old Chinatown.

The Chinatown Heritage and Visitors Center and Chinese Historical Society of Southern California are located on Bernard Street. The Visitors Center displays an array of Chinese artifacts and photos. It also houses a library where the history of the Chinese Americans is documented. Take rest and have food in the Empress Pavilion Restaurant offering Cantonese cuisine. Chinatown has also served as a location for scores of acclaimed Hollywood movies to name a few - 48 hours, eight millimeter, primal fear, strange days and many more.

Proceed towards the Phoenix Bakery, which is the largest in Chinatown. From there, you can come to Central Plaza and visit the Golden Pagoda Restaurant. To south from Broadway, you will find the Saigon Plaza, Dynasty Center and Chinatown Plaza. Towards the north of the Broadway is the Chinatown Gateway, which is a 25 feet monument and built on Chinese theme of art. Come to the Ten Ho Temple from there and experience the sweet smell of the incense sticks. Chinese Methodist Church and the West Plaza are located on the Hill Street.

Cultural District of Chinatown

http://wikitravel.org/en/Los_Angeles/Downtown

Day Trip to Chinatown

http://www.daytrippen.com/china-town-la.html

The Charm of Old Chinatown

http://oldchinatownla.com/

What is Chinatown?
In the middle 1800's, a small group of Chinese settlers began to reside in this area. Slowly and steadily, more and more Chinese started joining this group and the Central Plaza was soon dedicated to this community of people and from then on, it came to be known as Chinatown. Getting to this richly vibrant and exotic area of Los Angeles is easy provided you follow the instructions given below.

From Temple Street:
Take a detour northbound on Broadway from Temple Street and a few blocks away is Chinatown, Los Angeles.

From Westside:
The 10 Freeway east should be taken and you should reach 110 north. From there, exit at Hill Street.

From Pasadena:
The 110 Freeway south should be taken and once again, take a turn on Hill Street.

From Hollywood:
The 101 Freeway south should be taken and exit at Broadway. From there turn left and drive north passing Cesar Chavez to reach your destination.

From the Inland Empire:

The 10 or 60 Freeway west should be taken and you should reach the 101 north. From there exit at Alameda and follow the boards to reach Chinatown.

From Long Beach:

The number 5 or 710 freeway north should be taken and once you reach 101 north, exit at Alameda and follow the directions given on the boards.
If you are any of the areas such as Bernard Street, Alameda Avenue, Cesar Chavez Avenue and Yale Street, finding Chinatown will be very easy.

The iconic dragon gate of Chinatown can be found at North Broadway and Cesar Chavez Central Plaza. It is unmistakable thanks to its neon light. However the easiest way to get to Chinatown from various other areas of Los Angeles is to take the MTA Gold Line. There is a stop that is a few feet away from the Chinatown gate and you should have no problem finding it.

http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/toppicturegallery/ig/Downtown-Los-Angeles-Tour/Chinatown.htm

http://www.chinatownla.com/gettinghere.php

Visiting Chinatown can be quite a fascinating experience to the LA locals and the tourists visiting Los Angeles. The place enables travelers to take a peek at the grand and intriguing Chinese culture, its rich history and the amazing sights and sounds of China minus the hassle and expenses of going abroad.

1. Things to consider before visiting Chinatown LA

Among the most important things for visitors to consider before visiting Chinatown LA is the accommodation. It would be beneficial to sort through the long list of Los Angeles hotels in order to chose and book a reservation for the best hotel that suits the traveler's budget and preference. Another essential factor to consider is the traveler's budget. Chinatown LA has a myriad of items to offer the traveler, from exotic food to beautiful souvenir items so it would be wise to prepare a sufficient allowance for the trip.

http://www.examiner.com/x-19326-LA-City-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m8d27-New-Chinatown-Los-Angeles-CA– Worth-a-Visit

2. Chinatown in LA: How to Get There

Tourists who are planning to visit Chinatown LA may check the internet for websites offering pertinent information on the location of Chinatown, driving directions and even virtual maps. Travelers can benefit greatly from booking a reservation at Los Angeles hotels that are within close proximity to Chinatown LA.

http://www.chinatownla.com/index.php

If you enjoy art in its myriad forms, don't forget to visit the galleries in Chinatown when you travel to Los Angeles.

1) Popular galleries in Chinatown

http://www.marygoldman.com/

http://www.artfacts.net/en/institution/black-dragon-society-4431/overview.html

http://www.chinaartobjects.com/

China Art Objects: This is one of the oldest galleries of Chung King Road. The items showcased here include contemporary drawings and paintings. The subjects of these paintings are sometimes playful characters and at times you may also come across classy prism focused camera work.

Black Dragon Society: This Gallery is extremely experimental with the kind of exhibitions it organizes. This place is known to showcase work of artists, who have the capability of sending powerful messages through their work of art.

Mary Goldman Gallery: The chief focus of this gallery is mixed media. Mary Goldman is extremely fond of confident and suggestive art.

2) Variety of art displayed in the Chinatown galleries

The galleries exhibit different kinds of art by artists all over the country. You can find paintings, photographs, sculptures, installation pieces and combinations of different art forms.

These galleries display work by established artists as well as upcoming ones and students. The work is consistently good and worth seeing. Prices of the exhibited items range from cheap to outrageously expensive.

Chinatown in Los Angeles is packed with distinctive Chinese culture, architecture and cuisine. Visitors to Chinatown can have dim sum on any day of the week or browse through shops specializing in Asian art, fine silks and inlaid furniture.

The Hotels near Chinatown Los Angeles with the most convenient Public Transportation are:

Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens

0.94 miles from Chinatown

www.kyotograndhotel.com/specialty/garmentdistrict.html

The Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens is a 21 story full service boutique hotel enveloped in a restful ambience. Public transport is available near the hotel, which includes the Metro Red Line at Tom Bradley Station located just 4 blocks from the hotel. Downtown shuttle service operated by LADOT is also available for the guests, just around the corner from the hotel.

Miyako Inn and Spa

1 mile from Chinatown

www.miyakoinn.com/our-rooms-los-angeles-miyako.asp

The Miyako Inn and Spa is located only 3 blocks south of the Union/Amtrak Station offering the guests convenient public transportation. Rich with tradition, the hotel has an attractive bar and restaurant, a luxurious health spa and conference rooms.

Best Western Dragon Gate Inn

0.3 miles from Chinatown

www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Best_Western_Dragon_Gate_Inn_Los_Angeles.htm

This hotel is located very near to the Metro Gold Line light rail, Metro Red Line light rail and within walking distance of the Amtrak Union Station, offering its guests several options of public transportation.

Omni La Hotel

1.1 miles from Chinatown

www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/LosAngelesCaliforniaPlaza.aspx

The Omni La Hotel at California Plaza has subway stops at Pershing Square, two blocks from the hotel. Local shuttle service within the hotel's 3 mile radius is also offered to the guests between 07:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs.

Marriott Los Angeles Downtown

1.2 miles from Chinatown

www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/laxdt-los-angeles-marriott-downtown/

The guests at Marriott have various transportation options close at hand consisting of Metro Red Line, Union Station, Hertz Car Rental and LAX. The hotel offers 400 luxurious guest rooms and 69 suites.