China City (1938-1949) was a Chinese-operated amusement center and tourist attraction in Los Angeles. Christine Sterling (1881-1963), who developed the city, was an Anglo-American entrepreneur and preservationist. After Old Chinatown was razed between 1926 and 1936 to create Union Station, Sterling aspired to build a mock Chinese settlement that would attract tourists and provide economic opportunities for Chinese Americans. China City was built as a walled enclave with Chinese-style architecture, Chinese restaurants, shops, rickshaw rides, a lotus pond, and a temple. As well as being a tourist development, China City was an economic development project for Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans. The cheap rent and high customer traffic allowed Chinese immigrants and Chinese American merchants and entrepreneurs to create a space to develop their shops and other businesses. China City also provided connections between Chinese American communities in the Los Angeles area that lived outside of China City, where Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans from different parts of Los Angeles could meet, interact, and form a bond. Throughout its history, China City was beset by multiple fires. In 1939, a fire burned through a portion of China City, but the stores and surrounding area were able to be rebuilt. However, in 1949, a fire destroyed most of China City. In 1955, the rest of the city was razed.

In 1981, the Chinese Historical Society created a historical project led by George Yee, Munson Kwok, and Paul Louie. As part of the project’s goal to collect and record the history of the Chinese community in Southern California, the Society invited former Chinese residents of China City to share their experience on the history of the city and its inhabitants. In 1988, a detailed map with listed stores and monuments was created by Tom McDannold with the aid of various former China City residents. In 2004, a project called “The Development of China City and New China Town Los Angeles, California 1938” used information and materials gathered from the 1981 and 1988 to form notes and a presentation on the history of China City and New Chinatown.