Chinatown

Montreal's Chinatown, known in French as the Quartier chinois, sits in the heart of the city between Old Montreal and Boulevard René-Lévesque. Originally home to Eastern European Jews in the late 19th century, the neighborhood became a home for Chinese immigrants beginning in the 1920s, particularly those from southern China and British Columbia. After older buildings were demolished in the 1970s, the area recovered thanks to the creation of a pedestrian zone in the 1980s. Today, four ceremonial gates mark the boundaries of this lively district. Here you can enjoy a wide range of restaurants, shops, and cultural institutions along Rue de La Gauchetière. A second, student-oriented Chinatown is also emerging west of Concordia University.