Downtown Riverside in Riverside County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Chinese Memorial Pavilion

Photographed by Volt Craft, June 29, 2026

1. Chinese Memorial Pavilion Marker

Inscription. This pavilion is memorial dedicated to the spirit and courage of the Chinese pioneers who came to Riverside the culture and heritage contributed by them exemplifies the diversity that is an integral part of the magnificence of this land.

(donor names not transcribed)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Immigration.

Location. 33° 58.961′ N, 117° 22.343′ W. Marker is in Riverside, California, in Riverside County. It is in Downtown Riverside. It is at the intersection of Orange Street and Mission Inn Avenue on Orange Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 710 Orange Street, Riverside CA 92501, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles,

in the Inland Empire,

and in the Peninsular Ranges.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

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and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: This Olive Tree (a few steps from this marker); Bell From Locomotive 66 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Nanjing Bell (within shouting distance of this marker); Booker Taliaferro Washington (within shouting distance of this marker); Napoleon and Joseph (within shouting distance of this marker); Old City Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Mission Inn (within shouting distance of this marker); Style and Grace of a Golden Era (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Riverside.

Also see . . .
1. The Chinese Pavilion (Asian American Riverside - UCR). Excerpt:

The Chinese Pavilion was built in 1985-86 and stands in front of the Riverside Central Library, at the corner of Mission Inn Avenue and Orange Street. It was built in honor of the Chinese settlers who came to Riverside in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Pavilion is located within a block or two of the cluster of Chinese businesses that constituted Riverside's "first"
Photographed by Volt Craft, June 29, 2026

2. Congratulatory Plaque with letter from President Ronald Reagan
Chinatown. Ironically, this neighborhood was relocated to Tequesquite Arroyo- the "second" Chinatown- on the rural outskirts of town in 1885 after a suspicious fire swept through it, destroying Chinese businesses.

(Submitted on July 3, 2026.)

2. Riverside’s Chinatowns (Asian American Riverside - UCR). Excerpt:

Some immigrant Chinese settled in Riverside in the late 19th century, but many more came to work in the citrus groves that were the economic powerhouse of Riverside 's economy. At certain times of year, as many as 3,000 Chinese laborers lived here while they picked and packed fruit for wages. Many lived in temporary housing in or near the groves.

The first Chinatown in Riverside was in the downtown area, centered on Ninth Street. It included laundries, small restaurants, and more. A fire destroyed most of its structures and led to the establishment of a second Chinatown in 1885 in the Tequesquite Arroyo, in the shadow of Mt. Rubidoux on the outskirts of the city. This small community had as many as four hundred Chinese residents at some points. Many of them were from Gom-Benn, a village in the Toishan region of
Photographed by Volt Craft, June 29, 2026

3. Dedication Plaque
southern China; many had the family name Wong. Chinatown was sometime referred to as "Little Gom-Benn."

Another fire destroyed this Chinatown in 1893 but it was again rebuilt, featuring brick and wooden buildings, including a small temple. It included shops, a butcher, laundries, and residences, and it provided a number of services for migrant Chinese laborers. By the 1930s, it was in decline due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and dwindling numbers of Chinese in the area.

(Submitted on July 3, 2026.)

Photographed by Volt Craft, June 29, 2026

4. Chinese Memorial Pavilion Marker

Chinese Memorial Pavilion image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Volt Craft, June 29, 2026

5. Chinese Memorial Pavilion

Lion donation plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Volt Craft, June 29, 2026

6. Lion donation plaque

Credits. This page was last revised on July 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2026, by Volt Craft of Riverside, California. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 30, 2026, by Volt Craft of Riverside, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.