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Buenos Aires' Chinatown | A tourist attraction in Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Buenos Aires Chinatown is located in the porteño neighborhood of Belgrano and, although it
is only two blocks long, it is an important tourist spot.
This two block area is not officially a neighborhood but it is called Chinatown because its many
shops sell a great variety of merchandise and offer many different services and typical oriental
gastronomy.
+ BUENOS AIRES CHINATOWN: THE DOOR
As is the case in many world capitals, people enter the Chinatown in Buenos Aires through a great
arc or door. The impressive Buenos Aires door was installed in 2009 on the corners of Arribeños
and Juramento streets. The door is eleven meters tall, eight meters wide and contains many
symbols of Chinese culture, including guardian dragons at the top.
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On each side of the great door are beautiful lions. These lions have become the preferred spot for
those who desire to make a wish or a promise or just to have their picture taken.
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On the left just behind one of the lions is a marble plaque commemorating the gift of the arc from
the Chinese community to the Argentine people in gratitude for their generosity and as a symbol
of the friendship between the two people.
+ WHAT IS CHINATOWN LIKE?
On weekends the streets are crowded with Argentine and international tourists as well as
members of the Chinese community in Argentina. This Chinatown area includes Arribeños
between Juramento and Olazábal and Mendoza between Montañeses and the General Bartolomé
Mitre railway tracks (just meters from the Belgrano C Station).
In Chinatown you will find:
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Stores selling products made in China: toys, jewelry, clothes, shoes, eyeglasses, purses,
Samurai swords, angel bells, decorative objects, porcelain teapots and cups, all
inexpensive, some imitations, none in a luxury category. The signs are amusing: “If you
break it, you pay for it.”
Stores offering customer service such as beauty shops, massage and acupuncture salons.
Clothing shops, some exclusively for women, offer a great diversity of design
outfits.locales gastronómicos de venta de comidas típicas para comer por la calle (todo
tipo de brochetes de camarones o preparados a base de pescado). Es una buena opción,
económica y muy sabrosa. Hay que animarse a probar algo diferente.
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Restaurants are abundant and vary in quality and price. They range from the sophisticated
and elegant “Chinese Rose” to the oriental fast food place, the Porteño Dragon”. You will
also find restaurants specializing in sushi, a type of food that is acquiring more and more
fans in our city.
Supermarkets have all sorts of typical products. Asia Oriental is a large one on Mendoza
Street and Casa China, on Arribeños Street, offers a large variety of seeds, spices, and
condiments unavailable in other locations. People come from all over to find unique
products and ingredients such as dried seeds, dried fruit, a large variety of teas (jasmine,
red ginseng, green, etc.), tofu, rice noodles, wasabi, soy sauce, seaweed, salt and oil.
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+ DAYS AND TIMES TO VISIT CHINATOWN
You can visit Chinatown any day of the week because the commercial businesses are open to the
public from Monday to Monday, including holidays from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (9-21 o’clock).
The restaurants open at noon from Tuesday to Sunday, close in the afternoon and open again at
night. Their hours are the usual restaurant hours.
As for holidays, the shops will be open on the day of the holiday, but will close the next day: if the
holiday falls on a Monday, most restaurants and supermarkets will be closed on Tuesdays. If the
holiday includes both Monday and Tuesday, they will be closed on Wednesday.
+ HOW TO GET TO BUENOS AIRES’ CHINATOWN
Buenos Aires' Chinatown is located between 6000 Avenida del Libertador, Olazábal at 1600,
Arribeños at 2200 and Juramento at 1600. There are various ways to reach Chinatown:
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Bus lines: 15, 29, 42, 44, 60, 63, 64, 65, 80, 107, 113, 114, 118 y 130.
Trains: Ferrocarril Mitre, bajar en estación Belgrano C.
Subway: línea D, estación Juramento y caminar seis cuadras hasta Juramento al 1600.
+ RECOMENDACIONES
- Take your camera with batteries charged and a spare battery.
- Take your mp3 or iPod since music is great company.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Use sun screen since overexposure to the sun is not good for your skin.
- Arm yourself with patience because Chinatown is very crowded: its streets, restaurants,
supermarkets and businesses are full of people.
- Secure your valuables (purse, backpack, camera, notebook).
- Try some food you can eat on the go.
- Around the middle of May, the Buddha or Versak Bath is celebrated. This traditional festival is
very colorful and it’s worth a visit to see it.
+ ACCOMODATION IN BELGRANO
If you're looking for accommodations in Belgrano neighborhood, close to Chinatown, you can
choose from Hostels in Belgrano, Apartments in Belgrano, and University Residences.
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Source: Buenos Aires Hostels + www.ba-h.com.ar the principal reference for Hostels in
Buenos Aires. The website was created in 1999 and offers an ample selection of hostels,
apartments, bed and breakfasts, and university residences in the principal Buenos Aires
neighborhoods: Palermo, Recoleta, Barrio Norte, Belgrano, San Telmo, La Boca, etc.
