China Town

China town is Perth with it’s pants down.
Along Roe Street leading up to the city there is a space that can only be described as a dump site. Amidst the rubble and rubbish stands a seemingly misplaced large red gate, signifying the entrance to China town. It is book ended with two cement lions who have had their dignity stripped from them, no longer protecting the gates of imperial palaces, here they serve only to watch over the disguarded bottles and piles of waste that surround them.
This site does the city of Perth, nor the businesses beyond this dumping ground, no justice. This block is an abundance of side streets hosting occassional beauty salons, comic stores and mainly authentic chinese restaurants, the smells that permeate this area are almost as satisfying as the meals themselves. Wth paper lanters over head the side walks really are like little China– presented in an unglorified and neglected state. Amidst the restaurants and bars are some deteriorating brick walls that have at least sparked some attention from the street artists, bringing some colour– and with it, a bit of a sinister «back alley» feel.
While navigating the gravel, car blocked pavement and drains, boxes of waste fasetiously line the streets under «NO DUMPING» signs. Ironically it is most likely the business owners in this district that are the most guilty of this aste mis-​management and conversely, the most effected by the lack of interest and business that follows on. Coine as the «undesignated China town» of Perth– It is fair to say that «Northbridge as a whole» is a more fair representation of China town with asian grocers, butchers and restaurants throughout.
Worth a visit– especially from the council workers and a street sweep!