Sacramento Chinatown Mall

Oooof~Seriously, this Sacramento Chinatown is NOT Chinatown like CONUS and International Chinatowns I have visited somewhere around the Planet! We drove around the blocks several times trying to find Chinatown . . . IS THIS ITTTTTT???? WTH!!!!????GEEZ~What a waste of time taking my Film Mentor, Tiana here but, Tiana began laughing jumping out of my 4-Runner snapping a photo of the statue and that Chinese Gateway Entrance~whoop-Dee-dooo~BFD!I was absolutely LIVID observing how disturbingly distraught-NO~NIL this Chinatown appeared to a naked POV . . . Egregiously stark, empty, hole-the-wall, NOTHINGNESS!As a result of this Chinatown not having ANYTHING picturesque visiting: We just stayed long enough snapping a couple of photos then, we drove across the way hanging out at Old Town Sacramento instead ‍‍‼ Please~NEVER EVER, EVER, ever discuss Sacramento Chinatown with me! GRRRRRR!!!!

I walked over to Historic Chinatown to see how it's like now, since I had not been here since the 1970s. Counted only two Chinese restaurants, one of which was closed. And the only one that was open had more of a Vietnamese menu than a Chinese menu! On a nice, cool Saturday, there was only one business open! The Denny's on the West side, probably had more people dining there than in all of Chinatown!Historic Chinatown is located between Third and Fifth Streets, and between J and I Streets. During the Gold Rush, this area was largely populated with Chinese immigrants; now, Chinese Associations and a Chinese Language School attempt to keep Chinese culture viable. Historic Chinatown is centrally located, the Sacramento Amtrak Station is a block North, I-5 is just West, and the WestField Downtown Plaza is just South of Historic Chinatown.Unless the Chinese community itself participates in it's own history and culture, Chinatowns in most metropolitan areas, aside from the largest in Los Angeles or San Francisco, will be just a quaint anecdote to most in the Chinese community. I was conversing with an Chinese Association member about the Language School. He had been a member since the late 60s; he stated that Chinese kids are not seeing the need for learning a second language. Back in the 60s, he said he had thirty or more kids learning Chinese... now he has about five.A cause of the decline of kids needing to learn Cantonese is the declining Chinese Cantonese population, which constituted most of the Chinese immigrants pre WWII. Quite a number of Chinese immigrants now speak Mandarin; and the majority of immigrants are pretty affluent and do not see a need for an integrated Chinese community. Here is a Wikipedia article on the decline of Cantonese and why the usage of Cantonese is declining ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantonese_%28linguistics%29 ).Another factor contributing to the decline of this Chinatown, and other small Chinatowns around the nation, is the declining population base of people that "need" a historic Chinatown. Chinatowns, in the past, used to be a unifying force of one culture against discrimination and economic deprivation from other ethnic forces and from a hostile civil government. There is not a need for that anymore! Besides the NAACP in Black Culture, can you name another ethnic cultural organization? Doubt it.Because of the success of the Chinese in integration into American Society, there has been a movement of Chinese to the 'Burbs. You can name three other sections in / near Sacramento that is "more" representative of the title Chinatown, than the one in downtown Sacramento. 1 South Freeport Avenue - There are probably three times more Cantonese restaurants in this area than there are in all of historic Chinatown. This is as close to how a Chinatown would look like back in the 40s and 50s in regards to shops and restaurants. 2 Tower Theatre area - a smaller version of the Freeport area. 3 65th St and Stockton Blvd area - This area is more of a Vietnamese / Chinese community. Emphasis on Vietnamese - more like a Little Saigon than a Chinatown. It just so happens that quite a number of Vietnamese are partly Chinese.As you see the businesses that support the Asian population follow the population to where they live. And, right now, the Asian population does not live in downtown Sacramento.There is a Senior Condominium complex in Historic Chinatown, that houses probably an elderly Chinese population from the WWII era. Once that population passes away, there will be no need for a strictly Chinese Senior complex. The emphasis of the Chinese Association presently is the Yee Fow Museum ( http://www.yeefow.com/present/museum.html )... but you can say that the Association is living in the past. What needs to happen to keep Historic Chinatown viable to the commuity is to attract Chinese businesses from the Freeport and the 65th Street areas and move them downtown. If reducing rental fees or increasing equity sharing rates is the answer... DO IT! Frankly, I don't see how much more irrelevant Chinatown can be than it is now. While I was walking through Historic Chinatown on that Saturday morning, I was the ONLY person walking through the complex, which was a virtual ghost town. Not even the transients want to come over to Chinatown!I have to qualify the Categories this landmark fits under Yelp... Shopping - Oops... There's only one Chinese Curio Shop, and of course, they were closed that day. Active Life - N/A. Restaurants - Oops... Restaurant, Singular, not Plural.If something is not done, the Chinese Associations that run Historic Chinatown will always be living in the past... not the present. For goodness sake get your heads out of the sand... the Gold Rush was over 150 years ago!R U Lookin' for... KoreaTown - Folsom Boulevard up to Sunrise Norte Mexico City - Franklin Boulevard

I like to hang out in chinatowns but this is the saddest chinatown ever. The real chinatown is queens ny. Sf is ok, oakland is hardly anything, this one is not even.

smallest Chinatown I've ever seen. It's literally the size of two blocks and that's it. Every time I've been here it's relatively empty and most of the restaurants are closed. What's the point of this place again? I guess people can just relax here in the shady courtyard but that's it..

This place used to be called 二埠 (yi fau) which means the second port. The first being San Francisco. Most of this Chinatown was burned to the ground by racists. That's why the oldest building there is made of brick. Because of the hazing most of the Chinese moved. What's left is a small block that's now called Sacramento Chinatown.I don't recommend visiting. There is a retirement apartment for the elderly. As well as a culture center for locals. The things to do is visit a Thai restaurant and, a new age healer gift shop (both owned by non-chinese; wtf?). There is a museum but, I've never seen it open even during posted open hours. The place arguably shouldn't exist anymore or, perhaps if I'm thinking more reasonably it shouldn't be called a chinatown. All in all I find this place pretty offensive. I think a large plaque should be placed at the entrance to let people know the history of why this Chinatown is so small. Sacramento should own up to the history. You can't learn from history if it's never known.

In the springtime the birds swarm in the trees here. Bring an umbrella.

As previous reviews stated this is not a busy area. It is only 1 block between I st. and J st. Parking isn't the greatest around the block. Only a few meters and one side is permit parking. It is not place where you get out and shop, but a place to take a walk and appreciate the history. Sacramento Chinatown use to be larger, and the Amtrak station across the street use to be part of the historic "Yee Fow" second city..it still has a wonderful Chinese language school that service the local Chinese community. Definitely worth a visit to see living history.

I've come here a few times on family trips as a kid here, and for curiosity and old-times sakes I stopped here on the way to Old Sacramento to see what it's like here. I knew it was small, but now I realize how small it really is. It's just over a square block at most. It was almost deserted on a Sunday afternoon except for a couple if senior citizens who probably lived at the Ping Yuen apartment located there. There's only one restaurant, and it was Vietnamese (with maybe some Thai servings). It was closed that Sunday afternoon. There was a sign pointing to another restaurant but it was Indian. The only business I noticed was one that appeared to sell books, which was also closed on Sunday. Everything else were benevolent associations and such. At least there was a Chinese supermarket here when I came as a kid, now there isn't even one.This is definitely a far cry from the second smallest Chinatown I visited, which was in Victoria, BC back in 2005. At least there they had Chinese markets and a restaurant that had roast duck hanging at the window.Seeing Sacramento Chinatown like this makes me wonder if it was ever busy and bustling in older days.

Tomorrow February 12, 2021 starts the Year Of The Ox! I just do not see any celebrations here at all! I cannot imagine any big celebrations here at this so call China Town in our capital town Sacra! Even before Mister Corona Virus, there not much here! One restaurant, one museum free admission opens five days a week two hours a day, maybe Senior Center, one or two pay telephones that work! I know, I try them all time! When in Sacra, can call back to the hotel, is local instead long distance such Land Line telephone! This China Town is just an insult! The one time checked in that day, the concierge says what is, then Come Back When You Are Done! I say to him, I Am Staying, Think I Have To Come Back! He right, not much of a so call China Town! Ah wow, I still wish Gung Hay Faat Choy to readers!

I really enjoyed all the cool historical spots, especially the senior housing. Great time (sarcasm)