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old town / chinatown
The most mysterious of Portland's
neighborhoods is Old Town/Chinatown. Below the streets of this river
district, the "Portland Underground" (or "Shanghai Tunnels" as they are
commonly known) serves as a reminder of the days when unsavory characters
shanghaied thousands of unsuspecting sailors, loggers and ranchers. The
Portland Underground consists of tunnels, catacombs and, apparently, an
assortment of ghosts. The Northwest Paranormal Investigations group claims
this to be the second most haunted place on the West Coast, and tour
operators have experienced "incidents" that would lead one to agree. Ghost
tours and history tours are offered by appointment.
Back on street level, Old Town/Chinatown is a bustling arts and
entertainment district and the site of some of Portland's best jazz spots
and art galleries. Every weekend from March through December, Old Town
hosts the well-known Portland Saturday Market, the nation's largest and
longest-running open-air crafts market. Artful items are offered by 300
vendors, and, as its slogan emphasizes, the market is open on "Sundays,
too!" Portland Saturday Market is centered around the historic Skidmore
Fountain, the city's first piece of public art. In addition, Old Town is
said to have one of the largest collections of cast-iron buildings in the
United States, second only to New York's SoHo District.
Portland's Chinatown makes up a significant part of Old Town and is home
to the new Portland Classical Chinese Garden. Named Lan Su Yuan, or
"Garden of Awakening Orchid," this is one of the largest Suzhou-style
gardens in existence outside of China. The ornate Chinatown Gateway (at
the intersection of Southwest Fourth Avenue and West Burnside) was
assembled in Taiwan by artisans who adorned it with nearly 200 dragons and
other mythical characters.
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