Chinatown

Honolulu's Chinatown

Chinatown is a bustling area on the western side of Honolulu’s financial district in Downtown Honolulu. 

Located in the vicinity of North Beretania and Nu’uanu Streets and extending towards Honolulu Harbor, it is known for its Chinese American community.  The area, which is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States, is filled with fabulous restaurants and eateries, ranging from incredible Chinese Dim Sum, to Vietnamese, Malaysian and an array of international fare.   Fresh local produce vendors, herbal and tea shops, as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, can be found in this area. 

The open-air Oahu Market is a central part of Chinatown.  The Maunakea, Oahu and Aloha marketplaces boast exotic fruits, seafood and all kinds of Chinese vegetables.  Shrines and temples abound and will transport you back in time to historic Japan and China.  The area became populated with people of Chinese descent as a result of laborers coming from China to work on Hawaii’s sugar plantations in the 19th century.  After their contracts expired, many of them moved to the area that is now called Chinatown and became merchants.  Many buildings date from 1901 due to two devastating fires in 1886 and 1900 that destroyed many of the original buildings.  The area was enduring a terrible plague and the second fire was deliberately lit with the goal of burning buildings that had housed people with the disease.  Unfortunately that fire blazed out of control and devoured almost all of Chinatown.  Still, the area was rebuilt again, although eventually large parts of it fell into a state of disrepair.  Crime became a serious problem.  Many areas are still considered unsafe after dark.