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-   -   China Town in Buenos Aires?? (https://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/china-town-in-buenos-aires-832237/)

Bamita Mar 22nd, 2010 03:11 PM

China Town in Buenos Aires??
 
Our Cicerone guide is suggesting he show us "China Town" as an off-the-beaten-trail place to see in Buenos Aires. Has anyone been to this area or knows where it is? I can't find any mention in my guide books! Would it be worthwhile to see? I'm very familiar with ChinaTown in San Francisco but not so sure it is high on my list for BsAs!
Thanks,
Bama

Eddwarm Mar 23rd, 2010 09:31 AM

I haven't been to BsAs's Chinatown but plan to go there within a few weeks when I am in this city. From my reading it is located in the barrio of Belgrano. Below is what I read.

"A colloquial misnomer granted to this unofficial neighborhood, Chinatown accommodates diverse Asian ethnicities including the first Taiwanese immigrants, followed by the Chinese, Korean and Japanese people who moved there in the moddle of the 1980s. The area has continued to preserve its Asian culture and includes plenty of grocery stores, restaurants and stores. Location: Juramento 1600 and Arribenos 2100 intersection."

Do not expect this Chinatown to be like to one in San Francisco, but do go and take it for what it is. Japan Town in Sao Paulo, Brazil was unlike this type of barrio in other cities to where I have traveled. It gave me another and different perspective, and I am glad that I was able to travel and be taken there by my independent guide.

kodi Mar 23rd, 2010 04:47 PM

My cicerone guide took me to Chinatown last month. I would not recommend it. We went into a few Asian grocery stores that he was interested in. I was not really interested in them
is your guide a doctor?

I would ask to go somewhere else.

Bamita Mar 23rd, 2010 07:20 PM

Thanks for your input. Yes, he is a doctor and I've already e-mailed that we'd prefer to skip China Town in favor of some more relevant historical sights. He was fine with that and I'm sure we'll have a good day......doing whatever!
Bama

kodi Mar 23rd, 2010 07:41 PM

Bamita, he is very nice, and I'm sure you will have a good time.

He likes to cook, and that's why we went into the grocery stores... but I wasn't really crazy about it.

He is very knowledgable. and I'm sure he will plan a good afternoon for you.

Enjoy yourself.

MarnieWDC Mar 31st, 2010 07:35 AM

We went to BsAs 'China Town' in Belgrano on the Chinese New Year. It was interesting (and sooooooooo crowded), but I would definitely skip it on a relatively short-medium visit to BsAs. So much to see, so little time......

~MarnieWDC

rwyatt5292 Apr 2nd, 2010 07:22 AM

Just returned from a one month visit in BA. We visited Belgrano and walked through China town on a Sunday. We enjoyed the experience. There is a lot of action- craft fairs, sidewalk cafe's, families walking about, people shopping and having a good time. China town was very crowded. We enjoyed it. We ate lunch at a restaurant in China Town, but in retrospect I wish we would have tried the street food (sold from windows of small stores and restaurants in China Town. It was a good Sunday for us.

condu Apr 3rd, 2010 02:56 PM

I enjoyed my visit to Chinatown. It was fun to poke through the shop and see how another culture lives in BA.
I agree with MarnieWDC & Bamita. Unless, you are there for a long stay, there are more relevant historical sites.

RedStater Apr 4th, 2010 06:23 PM

I've been thru BA's Chinatown and lunched there a couple of times. Dreadful food. Complete waste of time. Don't bother.


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