Special Report: China town

China town as we all know is a colorful, exotic and busy area, packed with market stalls and probably the greatest concentration of gold shops in the city. However, only a few know its beginning and history.

Whenever someone mentions the word ‘ China town,’ the picture of a street lined with gold shops pops up in your mind. Although Chinatown is accessible by several roads, including Songwat, Pardsai, Anuwong, Chakkrawat, Charoen Krung and Yaowarat Roads, most people tend to think of Yaowarat Road as the only access to China town, which is far from being true; in fact, many people even think of Yaowaraj as China town, given it is always bustling with all kinds of activities ranging from people flocking over to have sumptuous meals to buying gold ornaments.

According to the Feng-Shui principles, the contour of Yaowarat Road is curvy like a dragon's curvy body, making it an ideal location for business. Many prospering businesses in Thailand originated and are still thriving in this age-old downtown. Visitors can find practically everything here: gold ornaments, garments, souvenirs, second-hand parts and equipment, electrical appliances, computer parts, antiques, imported musical instrument, and, of course, local delicacies.

At night, Chinatown is a gourmet paradise. Stalls, tables and chairs line the streets of most of the streets in the area. Street dining is a common sight and a unique experience. All sorts of delights to cater to a discriminating palate ranging from shark fin soup, bird’s nest soup, lotus root juice to toasted chestnuts (locally called Kaolat) can all be found here.

Property around Yaowarat Road has in the past several decades been the priciest in the whole country; however, it has just dropped to the second most expensive area, trailing the famous shopping complex of Siam Square.

Three festivals are held annually in Chinatown: the Chinese New Year, which usually falls in January or February; the Chinese Sart in August; and the Chinese Lunar Moon, usually held a month after the Sart. Chinese or no Chinese, you should never miss visiting Chana town during the three occasions.

-- NNT 2010-12-08

Have you notice. Chinatown is the direst place in every major city. May it be London, NY, Bangkok, Rangoon, etc.

I love the shark fin and keow teow there....

Why would you eat shark fin soup when you know they harvest the sharks just for the fins?

I love the shark fin and keow teow there....