Las Vegas’ Chinatown

Written by Tiffany Milligan – A Vegas Local

A Chinatown in Las Vegas? Duh?! Or maybe there are people still out there who don’t realize EVERY CITY in the United States has a “Chinatown”! Let me get a little more specific… ALMOST every city has a Chinatown. A Chinatown in, let’s say, the redneck city of Evansville, Indiana would be a little odd but that’s neither here nor there :/ Las Vegas’ Chinatown is a little cultural taste of China topped off with a serving of Las Vegas!

A series of strip malls on Spring Mountain Road were developed in 1995 and received official “Chinatown” designation in 1999 by Nevada’s Governor. Our Las Vegas Chinatown would be considered “modern with a Pan-Asian flair” versus the more traditional, solely Chinese associations seen in older cities across the United States. The fact that our Chinatown was “developed” makes it unique –most cities’ Chinatowns “evolved” from the Asian population. Not only is Las Vegas a “newish” city, the growth of the Asian population is fairly recent (going back a mere couple of decades).



Photo courtesy of Smiteme

Chinese bookstores are my preferred hangout – ok, not really, this white girl looks at the Chinese characters and sees beauty and nothing more… but if I could read Chinese I would be wandering those isles! From travel agencies to optometrists to grocery stores, Las Vegas Chinatown has it all. Ohhhh, you want to know some of the top places to go in Chinatown? I guess we can divulge a couple of our secrets… Greenland Supermarket and Ronald’s Donuts (vegan donuts, really?) are good places to start your adventure!



Two and a half miles of Asian goodness right here in the Las Vegas Valley…what more could we ask for when looking for some good eats?! There are some fantastic Chinese restaurants (along with Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, and many others) that serve up the same traditional dishes one would find in the respective countries. Can’t decide where to eat? Try Ichiza, Raku, HK Star, or Pho So!


Photo courtesy of SuperStar

Las Vegas’ Chinatown host a series of events throughout the year that allow you to experience this part of Vegas to its fullest:

Food Festival – Centered on FOOD and complete with dragon dances and taiko drums, this event takes place in February. Chinese, Japanese, and Polynesian dancing will introduce you to the true beauty of the Asian culture while the acrobatics will make you wish you were half as flexible as the performers!

Miss Chinatown – October brings with it a new Miss Chinatown. This event provides young Asian Americans the opportunity to showcase their many talents and beauty. It serves as a platform to bring Asian cultural awareness to the Las Vegas Community.

Moon Festival – The Asian Harvest Moon Festival in September is a tradition within our Asian community. They believe the moon is at its maximized brightness on this day and celebrate with entertainment and, of course, food!

Let the friendly, professional staff at VegasDaze help you make the most of your Las Vegas stay - call them at 1.855.895.3293 or 702.851.3293 to line up your Chinatown itinerary now!