"We need to break out of thinking that Chinatown is dirty, cheap and crowded," Liu said. "People should go to Beijing and Shanghai today and see how different it is. There's state-of-the-art architecture, merchandising and technology. This has to be represented here."
Liu, a 49-year-old USC graduate, grew up in Silver Lake. He moved into a former bank building in Central Plaza four years ago, when the gallery scene was in its infancy.
Liu is sensitive to the complaints of old-timers that Chinatown is losing its Chinese identity. But he sees his store and others as introducing a fresher look at Asian culture: "For this area to survive, we needed people who were willing to come in and sacrifice their time to try something new."
Something new definitely is occurring. On weekend nights, Chinatown's narrow walkways are filled with young people of many ethnicities.
Downtown loft developers have caught the vibe. "Chinatown is one of those best-kept secrets," said Kate Bartolo, senior vice president for Kor Realty Group, which is planning a development.
On a recent Saturday night, Central Plaza's main square was rented out for a non-Chinese wedding, the first of its kind at the location. Seniors at the Hop Sing Tong Benevolent Assn., accustomed to playing Chinese checkers and mah-jongg, instead pulled out chairs and sat in the courtyard. They watched with curiosity as party-goers in suits and gowns chomped on bok choy and pot stickers and listened to a DJ spinning records.
