Oldtown/Chinatown

A 10-minute walk north of downtown is Portland's oldest neighborhood: Old Town / Chinatown. Long ago, sailors and loggers frequented the saloons here, and Asian immigrants, who worked on the ships and ports, settled en masse.

In the 19th century, this historic neighborhood was notorious for the kidnapping of workers through a labyrinth of trapdoors and Shanghai tunnels. The unsuspecting victims were held captive until the ships that they were forced to work on were ready to set sail. Today, tours are available of many of these underground tunnels, now referred to as the "Portland Underground," (Portland Walking Tours, 503.774.4522).

Chinatown's ornate ceremonial gate (given to Portland by its sister city, Kaohsiung, Taiwan) on Fourth Ave. & Burnside opens to a neighborhood of traditional Chinese restaurants, as well as the Lan Su Chinese Garden, which sits on one full city block. Inside this walled oasis you'll discover an 8,000-square-foot lake; hundreds of rare plants, including species of bamboo, jasmine and orchids; the Tao of Tea, a teahouse which promotes the art and culture of tea; and nine pavilions connected by twisting, mosaic stone paths.

A huge draw to Old Town is the Portland Saturday Market - the country's largest ongoing open-air arts and crafts market. Hundreds of vendors set up shop under and around the Burnside Bridge, Skidmore Fountain (built in 1888) and at the north end of Waterfront Park to sell handcrafted jewelry, artwork, pottery and more every Saturday and Sunday from March through December 24.