Chinatown in DC is often swarming with tourists, fancy cars, and teenagers going overboard showcasing the latest fashion trends. Lights blaring, cars honking, and advertisements plastered between name brand stores create a rather stark sensory overkill.

The stores all have their name equivalent in Chinese characters; along with the intricate arch, these serve as the only reminder that you are in fact in the area formerly occupied by Chinatown. it's only when you go a couple blocks east that you find the wonderful hole-in-the-wall restaurants that are so sought out for in urban Chinatowns.