About Chinatown
Chinatown is a place within the Haymarket neighbourhood of Sydney. It is located between Central Station and Darling Harbour, in the southern part of the Sydney central business district with a significant Chinese presence. Sydney's Chinatown happens to be the biggest Chinatown in Australia.
The current location of Chinatown is actually the third place in Sydney to be known as Chinatown. Originally, in the late 19th century, Chinatown was located in The Rocks area of Sydney. It then moved to the area near Market Street at Darling Harbour. It only began to be established in its current location in the 1920s.
Chinatown of Sydney is centred around Dixon Street, a pedestrian street mall with many Chinese restaurants, and with a Paifang archway at each end. On the eastern side, running parallel with Dixon Street, are Sussex Street, which has a number of shops, and George Street, one of Sydney's main thoroughfares. At the eastern end of Chinatown, at the corner of George Street and Hay Street, is a sculpture made from a dead tree trunk. The sculpture was named Golden Water Mouth, and was said to bring good fortune to the Chinese community. Other streets within Sydney's Chinatown include Factory Street, Goulburn Street, Little Hay Street, Pitt Street and Thomas Street.
At the southern side of Chinatown is Market City, a large complex next to Hay Street. Market City contains a modern shopping centre, restaurants, boutique shops, a cinema complex, and a Friday-to-Sunday produce and flea market trading as Paddy's Market, as well as a large residential high-rise building. In addition to the Chinatown within Sydney's Central Business District, satellite Chinatowns have mushroomed in the suburbs of Ashfield, Cabramatta, Hurstville, Eastwood, Campsie, Parramatta, Chatswood, Burwood and Flemington. Nevertheless, Sydney's Chinatown remains a major focus for the Chinese Australian community.
Visitors come to Sydney's Chinatown to admire the groceries, herbalist shops and butcher. The smell and aroma is distinctive Asian. There are also two Chinese-language cineplexes in Chinatown.
Getting there
Nearest Monorail Station: Paddy's Market
Nearby Sights
Darling Harbour
Pyrmont Bridge
Australian National Maritime Museum
Capital Theatre
Chinese Garden
Convention and Exhibition Centre
King Street Wharf
Paddy's Markets
Powerhouse Museum
Sydney Aquarium
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Chinatown Location Map
View Chinatown in a larger map
Chinatown
Author: Enoch Lau (GFDL)
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