Little Saigon

Bordered by Westminster Boulevard, Bolsa Avenue, Magnolia Street, and Euclid Street, this 3-square-mile area in Westminster, CA, has hundreds of Vietnamese businesses for visitors to enjoy. In fact, it is the highest concentration of Vietnamese shopping in the world outside of Vietnam.

Immigration to the U.S. from South Vietnam in the mid 1900's brought many Vietnamese to the Los Angeles area. However, it wasn't until June 17, 1988 that California Governor, George Deukmejian, gave this are the name, "Little Saigon." Recently, the Vietnamese Gate in Little Saigon received screen time in the movie, Too Fast, Too Furious.

Since this area is usually filled with crowds by 10:00 a.m., it is recommended that visitors park their car and walk around Little Saigon. Points of interest within Little Saigon include the Vietnam Pagoda, a statue commemorating the cooperation between Americans and South Vietnamese; the Asian Garden Mall, visited by over 200,000 tourists every year; and the Asian Village, a collection of Asian merchants selling items ranging from roast duck to silk.

Little Saigon sits just a few miles east of Long Beach and a 40-minute drive south of Los Angeles International Airport. Outside of Little Saigon, visitors can also see nearby the Crystal Cathedral, Discovery Science Center, or the Santa Ana Zoo.: