Portland's Chinatown: A Legacy of Resilience & Reinvention

🌉 Origins & Glory Days • 1800s Gold Rush Roots: Chinese immigrants arrived via railroads/mining, settling in NW 4th-8th Avenues. • Thriving Hub: By the 1900s, teahouses, herbal shops, and theaters flourished—a cultural lifeline despite the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. 🏮 • Architectural Gems: Pagoda roofs and guild halls once painted the skyline. 📉 Decline & Transformation • Post-WWII Exodus: Families moved to suburbs, leaving hollowed-out streets. • Japantown Merger: WWII internment emptied neighboring Nihonmachi, blending histories. • Lan Su Garden’s Rise: The 2000 Suzhou-style garden became a phoenix for revival. 🌿🎋 🎭 Today’s Chinatown • No Longer "Just Chinese": Now a mix of art galleries, fusion eateries, and nightlife. • Must-Visit: Lan Su’s chrysanthemum festivals + ghost signs of old herbal shops. #PortlandChinatown #OregonHistory #CulturalRevival