WHAT YOU'LL SEE!

HISTORY

Washington’s Chinatown dates to the 1880s, when immigrants settled along Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and Sixth Streets, NW. After it was forced out by construction of the Federal Triangle in the 1930s, the community moved north to the current location, one of the city’s oldest residential sections. In the 600 block of H Street you’ll see the Wah Luck House senior community, whose architect, Alfred Liu also designed the arch, and the Chinatown Community Cultural Center, dedicated to preserving and promoting the neighborhood’s cultural heritage. 

The arrival in 1997 of the Verizon Center (originally called the MCI Center), which hosts more than 220 events and attracts 2.6 million people annually, has changed the neighborhood dramatically. Its opening brought development pressures to Chinatown. While some of the old, inexpensive restaurants remain, featuring authentic Chinese hand-noodles and barbeque, many have closed. They have made way for familiar western eateries — albeit with names in Chinese characters. This information provided courtesy of Cultural Tourism DC. For additional information, visit: http://www.culturaltourismdc.org