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 1880s 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 a 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.

The district is bordered by Highway 99 on the west, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the east, Fresno Street on the north and Ventura Street on the south.

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.) Althought the road to recovery is a long one, community pride and partnerships have 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 cooperative 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 oldest operating Fire Station in Fresno (at Fresno and "E" 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. Central Fish Company, at Kern and G Street is one of Chinatown's longest running businesses, and one of the Valley's top fish markets, supplying area restaurants with sushi grade seafood; they also stock a wide variety of imported Asian grocery and houseware items.

Every year, the Chinatown District is home to a number of special events, from the Chinese New Year Parade, to the annual Fresno Betsuin Budhist Obon Festival, to the Chinatown Music and Arts Festival, held every September.

In 2007 Fresno's Chinatown gained national media attention for the story of long forgotten, and often rumored secret tunnels that connected the various buildings, and allowed discrete passage underground for the patrons of the areas various establishments.

Chinatown in the news

CNN report on Fresno's Chinatown tunnels (10/15/07)

USA Today article on Fresno's "underground" Chinatown (10/14/07)

LA Times article on Fresno's Chinatown (11/26/07)

KSEE 24 (NBC) report on Chinatown underground (10/7/07)

New York Times "36 Hours in Fresno" (5/6/06)