Chinatown - Lions at the Gate

A stop on Historic Downtown Honolulu Walk, a free self-guided tour.

The two stone lions in this little park guard the entrance to one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States. The bronze boy nearby is Sun Yat-sen at about 13, the age he arrived in Honolulu to go to school. He later led the revolution that ended China's last dynasty, and he raised money for it in these streets.

Chinese workers began arriving in 1852 on contracts to cut sugarcane. When their contracts ended, many settled here by the harbor and opened shops, herb stores, temples and restaurants. The neighborhood burned in 1886, and again in 1900, when health officials set fires to destroy buildings during a plague outbreak and the flames ran out of control. Thousands lost their homes, and many saw prejudice in how the fires were handled.

Walk up Hotel Street to Maunakea Street for lei stands, open-front markets and the pagoda roof of the old Wo Fat restaurant, then follow your nose to dim sum, noodles and manapua.

Getting here: Walk ewa along Hotel Street for about four blocks to Bethel Street; the small park with the lions is on the corner next to the Hawaii Theatre.

Did you know?: The villain Wo Fat in the TV series Hawaii Five-0 was named after the Chinatown restaurant on Maunakea Street.

Photo op: Crouch beside the lions so their carved faces fill the foreground, with the marquee of the Hawaii Theatre behind them.

More on Wikipedia: Chinatown, Honolulu · Sun Yat-sen

Chinatown - Lions at the Gate

Stops on this tour