Fresno Chinatown

Fresno's Historic Chinatown was established in 1885 and was the central hub for Fresno for many years. In fact, most of Fresno's cultural and ethnic communities can call Chinatown their original home. From the late 1800s to the mid 1950s, it was not unusual to find a Japanese newspaper publisher next door to an Italian market. Walking down the streets of Chinatown, one could find a German feed shop, a Chinese herbalist, an African American blacksmith shop, an Armenian hotel and Basque restaurant and ball court. One could enjoy the tradition of Japanese Sumo wrestling or see a live theater show and movie at a Mexican theater.

Through the early 1960s to the early 1990s, the years and economic times were very hard on Chinatown and many of the historic buildings were lost, now only treasured memories. However, in 1994, new business owners, social service organizations, residents and past members of the West Fresno Merchants Association organized the Chinatown Revitalization, Inc. of Fresno for the revitalization of this truly unique area.

Projects were planned and carried out, such as community clean-ups, security services, improved street lighting, street banners, facade and street improvements, landscaping, and building preservation. (Nine Chinatown structures are now listed on the local register of Historic Properties.) Although the road to recovery was a long one, community pride and partnerships soared, and one can see and feel the changes while walking around the area.

Chinatown is still called home to the oldest and only independent dairy co-operative in the United States; the Danish Creamery, established in 1895 (at Ventura and "E" & "F" streets); the only Mexican Baptist church in Fresno (at "E" and Mariposa streets); the only "omanju" Japanese bakery from Stockton to Los Angeles (at "F" and Kern streets); and the oldest Buddhist Temple in the Central Valley (at Kern and "E" streets).

There are still many of Fresno's best kept secrets for food, shopping, sights and sounds in Chinatown to be discovered. This neighborhood truly represents the great ethnic, cultural and architectural diversity of Fresno.