One Of Seattle's Oldest Neighborhoods Is Full Of Authentic Asian Cuisine, Shops, And Art

The moment you see the gateway, you know you've reached the entrance to Seattle's Chinatown. The ornate structure, with its colorful screens and sloping roofs, is known as "paifang" in Mandarin, and it welcomes visitors to this century-old neighborhood in Seattle's inner city. Beyond, you'll find 50 restaurants serving a variety of East Asian cuisines, as well as shopping, museums, and parks. Known officially as the Seattle Chinatown-International District — or C-ID for short — this urban quarter is close to major attractions like Lumen Field and Pioneer Square. C-ID is one of Seattle's many overlooked, must-see attractions.

The neighborhood dates back to 1910 when immigrants started to arrive from China and Japan. These migrants were forced to live in a segregated area, which had until then been regarded as a disreputable slum. Today, C-ID is a lively and attractive community; residents are a mix of East Asian populations, such as Korean- and Vietnamese-Americans, as well as other ethnicities, which is why this area is routinely called Seattle's "International District." To learn more about this history, visit the Wing Luke Museum, a 60,000-square-foot institution dedicated to the arts and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The museum is named after Wing Chong Luke, who grew up in the city and was the first person of color to be elected to Seattle's City Council.

The district is full of hidden gems, and day-trippers may struggle to find the right restaurant. A walking tour through Viator can help you sift through the streets and find exactly the Peking duck or bowl of pho you're looking for. Guides frequently couple a C-ID visit with other cultural touchstones of downtown Seattle.

This West Coast city has a sizable East Asian community of 135,000 people — about 20% of Seattle's total population. C-ID is the symbolic heart of these diasporas, which makes it a natural place to host traditional events like the Lunar New Year Celebration, as well as newer cultural events like the Asian American Film Festival, the CID Block Party, and the C-ID Night Market. The street festivals are open to the general public, along with many other free things you can do when visiting Seattle. The city has a reputation for being on the expensive side, so this is a great option if you are visiting Seattle on a budget.

Big events aside, C-ID is just a nice area to walk through. A lynchpin of the neighborhood is Hing Hay Park, a public square with a Taiwanese-made pavilion and recurring T'ai Chi sessions, among other activities. A block away from the park is the Seattle Pinball Museum, whose 50 vintage machines have entertained analog gamers of all ages since 2010. With its unlimited plays — after paying the museum's admission — the Pinball Museum is a great place to kill a couple of hours, especially if you're traveling with children.

Part of C-ID's appeal is its central location. Backpackers will appreciate a budget stay in the American Hostel Hotel, and the main gateway stands only about a mile away from Seattle's business district and waterfront. So, make a beeline for Viator's tours and get ready to walk every C-ID street and stuff yourself with dim sum.