NW 3rd Ave, between Couch and Davis
In 2024, Portland’s Old Town Chinatown neighborhood added a colorful display of overhead lanterns. This is part of a community project to celebrate the area’s cultural history and make the streets feel more welcoming. Organized by local community groups, the project brought beauty, light, and positive activity to a historic neighborhood that has faced challenges in recent years. By highlighting traditions from Asian cultures, the lanterns help visitors see Chinatown as an important and lively part of Portland’s past and present.
The display includes 80 Chinese and Japanese lanterns. Chinese lanterns are round with gold tassels. The red color represents luck and happiness. The Japanese lanterns are a simpler shape, tall or box-shaped. Together, the different lantern styles create a street display that is both cheerful and peaceful, showing the rich cultural traditions connected to Portland’s Chinatown.
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Discussion Questions:
Why do you think the community wanted to add lanterns to Chinatown?
How can lighting make a place feel safer?
How can community projects bring people together?
Vocabulary: culture. lanterns
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State Education Standards:
Social Studies 3.11. Describe how individuals, groups, events and developments have shaped the communities and regions. Multicultural Studies, Historical Knowledge