Las Vegas Chinatown

History

The first time I saw the Las Vegas Chinatown I was impressed and in awe of the efforts of the Chinese to create a unique and distinct environment that was a reflection of who they were as a people. 

The Chinese were one of the first Asian groups to arrive in large numbers into the United States of America. Chinatown were formed in the 1800s as a result of the influx and they started as enclaves of ethnic Chinese people. They existed in the West Coast by 1840 and on the East Coast by 1870. Chinatown are small cities within large cities. Chinatown is the enduring story of immigrants from China seeking to pursue a better life. 

Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Chinatown was established in the 1990s when three partners purchased seven acres around Spring mountain to preserve Asian heritage in Las Vegas. It is a true international district comprising of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and many others. They built a district in the style of the Emperor’s Palace, with pagoda-style ceramic-tiled roofs, a paifang entrance gate and a towering gold statue inspired by the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West.

Architecture

One of the most significant characteristic of the Las Vegas Chinatown is the use of timber. Wood was the preferred building material for most traditional Chinese architecture. The timber structures were crowned with ceramic tiled roofs and wide eaves with slightly upturned corners. They had elegant profiles and were usually axis-centred with symmetrical wings. This was in accordance to the aesthetic standards of harmony and symmetry in traditional Chinese architecture. Special attention was made to color and adorn the entire structure.  

Carved beams, painted rafters, patterns, inscribed boards, wall paintings, ornamental columns, flowers, and screen walls were used to add color and character to both the exterior and interior.