For more than 150 years this section of central Melbourne, now flanked by five traditional arches, has been the focal point for the city's Chinese community. It remains a vibrant neighbourhood of historic buildings filled with Chinese and other restaurants. A must-visit for foodies, come here for yum cha (dim sum) or to explore the attendant laneways for late-night dumplings and cocktails. Some restaurants stay open until the wee hours. Chinatown also hosts the city’s Chinese New Year celebrations.
Chinese miners arrived in Victoria in search of the ‘new gold mountain’ in the 1850s and started to settle in this strip of Little Bourke St from the 1860s. To learn more about the Chinese-Australian story, visit the excellent Chinese Museum.