Los Angeles

Sunset, May, 2004

Vibrant and exotic, LA's Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian neighborhoods buzz with cultural sights, sounds and scents. Asian immigrants, past and present, have brought a bounty of riches that has changed forever the texture of LA.

LA's first Chinese established a community in the 1860s. By the 1930s, Chinatown was forced to make way for Union Station. Today, the new Chinese American Museum is housed within the oldest surviving Chinese buildings located in El Pueblo Monument, the city's "birthplace" in downtown LA. For a historic overview, visit Chinatown Heritage and Visitors Center.

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Explore the bustling shops and restaurants of Chinatown's Central Plaza. For sweets, head for Phoenix Bakery, the oldest bakery in Chinatown. Be sure to stop at Empress Pavilion for dim sum--a variety of traditional Chinese steamed and fried dumplings. Fine Chinese imports are featured at Jin Hing Co. and Magic Dragon Art Gallery, and at Saigon Plaza and Dynasty Center, you'll find Southeast Asian-style bazaars. Don't miss Wing Hop Fung Ginseng and China Products Center for herbs, teas, arts and crafts--and even an acupuncturist.

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Just blocks away, the gleaming contemporary Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo hosts cultural exhibits and theater productions. At the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, enjoy a plaza created by Isamu Noguchi, and Doizaki Gallery, which displays traditional and contemporary Japanese art. The two-level Japanese garden at the New Otani Hotel and Gardens is well worth a visit, as is the impressive Kinokuniya bookstore nearby. For possibly the best view of LA at night, head for Yamashiro Restaurant in Hollywood Hills.

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Trendy nightclubs, thriving businesses and ancient traditions blend together in Koreatown. The Korean Cultural Center and the Korean American Museum honor immigrants through cultural events and exhibits. At Koreatown Plaza, boutiques feature all things Korean, from stationery and baked goods to cosmetics and music. For classic dining try Chosun Galbee or enjoy a soothing Korean tea ceremony at Hwa Sun Ji.

In Hollywood's Thai Town, Palms Thai Restaurant combines Thai cuisine with an impressive Thai Elvis impersonator. For a more intimate setting, visit Ruen Pair Restaurant or Kruang Tedd Restaurant for karaoke. Sanam Luang Cafe is the spot for a late-night bowl of Thai shrimp soup. In this neighborhood you'll find shops with everything from Thai books to colorful Thai silks, ceramics and crafts.

Monterey Park, east of downtown LA, is the first suburban Chinatown in North America and has the highest concentration of Asians of any U.S. city. Take a feng shui lesson or dine at some of the best Chinese restaurants.

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For additional visitor information about LA, go to www.VisitLANow.com. For a complete cultural calendar and information on how to get to cultural destinations on public transportation, go to www.ExperienceLA.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: DON'T MISS:

* The Los Angeles County Museum of Art houses stunning collections from Southeast Asia, China, Korea and India; its Pavilion of Japanese Art is devoted solely to Japanese art.

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* Designed to look like a grand Chinese palace, the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena specializes in Asian and Pacific Rim arts.

* Pasadena's Norton Simon Museum is home to perhaps the most important Southeast Asian art collection in the U.S.

* The UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History (1) explores Asian art and culture.

* UCLA's serene Hannah Carter Japanese Garden and The Huntington Library. Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino provide a sense of Asian calm in a bustling city.

* Celebrate Samoan culture at the annual summer Tafesilafa'i Festival in Long Beach.

* East West Players (2), the nation's premier Asian American theater troupe, gives voice to the Asian Pacific American experience at the David Henry Hwang Theater.