Chinatown, Houston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chinatown New Chinatown
Neighborhood of Houston
Sign marking the Chinatown division of Greater Sharpstown (Chinatown logo designed by Willie Yang)
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Harris County
City	Houston
Area
• Total	6.1 km2 (2.37 sq mi)
Population
• Total	29,993
• Density	4,886/km2 (12,655/sq mi)
ZIP Code	77036
Area code(s)	713

Chinatown (Chinese: 華埠 or Chinese: 中國城) is a lively community in Southwest Houston, Texas. It's a place where many people of Asian descent live and work.

Houston actually has two Chinatowns. The older one, sometimes called "Old Chinatown," is near the George R. Brown Convention Center in East Downtown Houston. This article is about the newer, larger Chinatown in Southwest Houston.

History of Houston's Chinatown

The first businesses in this new Chinatown opened in 1983. More and more Chinese people were moving to Southwest Houston and Fort Bend County. They were quite far from the old Chinatown.

So, new shopping centers started to appear. Diho Square was built first. Then came Dynasty Plaza in 1986-1987. Developers bought land that was inexpensive at the time. They hoped the area would grow and become busy later.

This new Chinatown really started to grow in the 1990s. Many Asian American business owners moved their shops here. They came from older neighborhoods, including the "Old Chinatown." They were looking for cheaper properties and safer areas. Hong Kong City Mall opened in 1999, becoming a major shopping spot.

By 2004, people noticed that Chinatown was shifting westward. By 2005, some people started calling the area "Asia Town." This was because many different Asian groups had businesses there. These included Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino communities.

Between 2004 and 2008, land values along Bellaire Boulevard in Chinatown went up a lot. This showed how popular the area was becoming. There were plans for many new buildings, including fancy apartments. Houston's Chinatown is still quite affordable compared to other Chinatowns in the U.S.

In 2008, a group wanted to build a special "landmark monument." This monument would be on Bellaire Boulevard. Its goal was to make the area more visible and beautiful for everyone.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some misunderstandings caused fewer visitors. This was due to false rumors spread about Chinese-Americans in Houston.

What Chinatown Looks Like

The Southwest Management District describes Chinatown's general boundaries. It's roughly bordered by Redding Road, Gessner Road, Westpark Drive, and Beechnut Street. This area covers about 2.37 square miles.

The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau says Chinatown and Little Saigon together form a larger "Asiatown." This bigger area is between Alief and Bellaire. Chinese businesses are usually inside Beltway 8, while Vietnamese businesses are often outside it.

This Chinatown is about 12 miles southwest of Downtown Houston. It's over 6 square miles, making it one of the largest car-friendly Chinatowns in the Southern U.S. The area is mostly flat and open. It sits between Westchase and the City of Sugar Land.

Historically, the intersection of Bellaire and Corporate Drive was the center of Chinatown. However, by 2004, the center was moving further west.

Most of the land in Chinatown is privately owned. This means there are not many public parks or spaces. The new Chinatown is surrounded by homes and apartments. Its spread-out design is different from the older, more compact Chinatown downtown. Many nearby homes and offices were built in the 1990s and 2000s.

Chinatown has many businesses. You'll find malls, supermarkets, shopping centers, restaurants, and bakeries. Even the street signs often have Chinese characters. Hong Kong City Mall is seen as a main symbol of the area. It even has a traditional Chinese arch called a paifang.

Many shopping centers in Bellaire Chinatown have "retail condos." This means people own their shop spaces instead of renting them. Many people from East Asia prefer to own their businesses. This is quite rare in other parts of the U.S.

The community offers many types of food. You can find Chinese, Hong Kong, Taiwanese, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Thai, and Vietnamese food. There are also restaurants serving Louisiana-style crawfish. You'll also find many fusion cuisine restaurants that mix different styles.

This Chinatown is like newer Chinatowns in places like Los Angeles or Silicon Valley. These areas are built for cars, unlike older Chinatowns in New York or San Francisco. In older Chinatowns, businesses from the same ethnic group often stayed together. In newer ones, different Asian groups often open shops right next to each other.

Panoramic view of Bellaire Chinatown shopping centers located east of Beltway 8

People in Chinatown

As of 2012, the part of Chinatown within the Greater Sharpstown district had about 29,993 people. Most people who visit and shop in this Chinatown are middle class.

Chinatown's Economy

MetroCorp headquarters and MetroBank branch (now East West Bank)

Many banks are located along a short stretch of Bellaire Boulevard. This area is sometimes called the "Wall Street of Chinatown." These banks serve local residents and Asian American business owners.

Before 2007, there were only a few banks in the area. Then, Asian American grocery stores and seafood markets started to open. Banks like Wells Fargo added signs in Chinese and hired tellers who spoke many languages. Local businesspeople also opened new banks like MetroBank and Texas First National Bank. They saw that these banks could better understand the needs of the Asian community.

Today, many Asian businesses operate in the area. So, Asian American banks have opened to serve them. Southwestern National Bank and American First National Bank have their main offices in Chinatown.

Halliburton, a large company, used to have a big office complex here. It was located on 67 acres of land in Chinatown. Halliburton closed this office in 2015.

Schools in Chinatown

The new Chinatown is served by two different school districts. Most of the area is part of the Alief Independent School District. A smaller eastern part is served by the Houston Independent School District.

Alief Independent School District

Many elementary schools are located within Chinatown, such as A. J. Bush, Chambers, and Liestman. Several middle schools like Owens Middle School are also in Chinatown.

For high school, all students in Alief ISD can be assigned to Alief Elsik High School, Alief Hastings High School, or Alief Taylor High School. All of these high schools are located in Chinatown. There is also a special magnet school, Alief Kerr High School, in the area.

Houston Independent School District

Neff and White Elementary Schools are in the Houston ISD part of Chinatown. Most of this area goes to Sugar Grove Middle School and Sharpstown High School.

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and Saint Agnes Academy are private schools located in Chinatown.

Getting Around

Many street signs are in English and Chinese – The pictured intersection is of Bellaire Boulevard (Chinese: 百利大道; pinyin: Bǎilì Dàdà o) and Corporate Drive (Chinese: 合作路; pinyin: Hézuò Lù)

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) provides local bus services. This helps people travel around Chinatown and to other parts of Houston. You'll notice that many street signs in the area are written in both English and Chinese.

Fun and Community

Many Chinese holidays are celebrated in Chinatown with special events.

The Chinese Community Center (CCC) is an important place. It offers many services, including English classes. Most students at the CCC are adults who have university degrees. The center helps them learn English to succeed in the U.S.

There is also a colorful mural called the Asiatown Community Mural. It shows the different Asian cultures in the area. Many people helped create this mural, and it opened in 2022.

Images for kids

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  A retail center in Chinatown in southwest Houston, where restaurants serving authentic Chinese food are located.

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  A retail center in Chinatown