Visit one of the oldest, most distinctive, and well-known areas in Melbourne

WANDERING up and down the ‘top half’ of Little Bourke Street, the smells, sounds, and sights represent a part of Melbourne’s history which is also the ‘now’.

Something so authentic, so real and so different to anything found elsewhere in Victoria.

And for many of us residing in regional Victoria – this unique experience is only an hour’s drive, or a short trip train trip away.

Melbourne’s iconic Chinatown precinct is one of the oldest, most distinctive, and well-known areas of Melbourne, dating back to the gold rush days of the 1850s.

Melbourne’s Chinatown is the longest continuously running Chinese community outside of Asia (San Francisco would have had that title had it not been for the unfortunate earthquake of 1906), and is consistently featured in Lonely Planet’s 8 Best Chinatowns Around the World!

Chinatown Melbourne is dominated by restaurants from fine dining to laneway and arcade noodle houses and is home to several Asian grocery stores, Chinese medicine and herbalist centres, bookstores, fashion boutiques and other selected retailers through the arcades.

True to its name and predominantly of Chinese ethnicity, you will find Melbourne’s Chinatown is truly cosmopolitan, offering a myriad of cuisines like Thai, Japanese, Indian, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Korean, and contemporary Euro-Australian. You will also discover some great Karaoke places and small intimate laneway bars too!

Chinatown is also home to some of the best accommodation you will find in Melbourne, staying right in the heart, but also only a short stroll to anywhere in Melbourne’s CBD.

We can again embrace and re-experience all those wonderful things we have on our doorstep. A weekend in Melbourne, to stay, eat and shop is just what Melbourne’s Chinatown Precinct wants to offer us. To welcome us back with open arms, so we can delight in the culinary experiences, catch up with family and friends, to share in the festivities of the impending Christmas season, and to feel the excitement of a fresh new year that is 2022 – The Year of the Tiger.

The fresh roast duck, the hand-made dumplings, the freshest-of-fresh ingredients, the delicious cocktails … be it for lunch or dinner – or both!

You will indulge in an institution and tradition that is centuries old. Even be brave and try the chicken feet. Ask a local how to eat them – you will pleasantly surprised at the taste and succulent mouthfuls.

The season’s greetings decorations above-head are new and vibrant, spanning the length of the precinct and bringing a real feeling of energy and celebration to the area, be it during the day – or lit up at night. Many restaurants also now have open-air dining, along with ongoing COVIDSafe measures in place.

On Sunday, December 19, the precinct will really come alive with the season’s celebrations, and many offers to visitors. Free dumplings, lantern making, stage performances, photos with Santa … just to name a few.

To welcome regional Victorians back to Melbourne’s Chinatown over the lead into Christmas, the Melbourne Chinatown Community is delighted to provide a range of amazing culinary options, and if you book with one of the precincts five participating hotels, each hotel is providing a unique accommodation package of experiences and savings.

To also complement your accommodation package, the Chinatown Precinct Association Inc. together with the City of Melbourne and Victoria State Government is providing a $50 dining voucher for participating restaurants in Chinatown Melbourne.

To book a night or two prior to Christmas or to find out more about the accommodations offers, dining or December 19 celebrations, head to chinatownmelbourne.com.au/regional-victoria-welcome-to-chinatown-melbourne/.