
Here are a handful of our favorite places to indulge and truly experience this corner of the city.įor a time-honored take on dim sum, head to Phoenix, where baskets of delicious bites (Steamed! Fried! Sweet! Savory!) are paraded around on push carts and yours for the taking. Only a five-minute walk from the park, you’ll be able to continue exploring the spirited neighborhood through its array of eateries. Once you’ve enjoyed the park and the city views it boasts, head to the heart of the area, the ornamental Chinatown Gate. Peppered with paths, fields, willow trees, and a boathouse where you can rent kayaks in the summer, Ping Tom Memorial Park is also a seasonal stop for the Chicago Water Taxi, easily accessible from The Loop or the Chicago Riverwalk (and certainly the most scenic way to get to the area).

Photo: Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerceīetween the music and the vibrant visuals (and the post-race entertainment that follows), the spectacle is a great time to experience the beloved neighborhood and its beautiful park, which is a sight to see even on non-race days. Each boat is beautifully decorated and holds up to 20 crew members, including a drummer who sets an entrancing beat for the crew to row to. Held at Ping Tom Memorial Park, the event features a menagerie of colorful dragon boats that compete to raise money for local schools by racing along this southern stretch of the Chicago River.
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And Chinese New Year isn’t the only popular time to head to this South Side enclave - on Saturday, June 22nd, the neighborhood’s ever-present energy will be in full force thanks to the annual Chicago Dragon Boat Race for Literacy. Only a 20-minute drive from Ambassador Chicago, visitors will find one of the largest Chinatowns in the United States, filled with sights, sounds, smells, and endless places to satisfy sweet and savory cravings.

To get a taste of the Far East in the Windy City, all you need to do is head due south.
