Following world tradition, Paris has its very own Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement, spreading south from the place d’Italie through the rue de Tolbiac to the Porte de Choisy. Asians are now said to constitute 10 percent of the population of this arrondissement, and China is by no means the only country of origin. Squeezed between high-rises, pagoda-like shopfronts crammed with Chenese curios jostle with a fantastic variety of eateries on all scales, from Hong Kong-style canteens to more intimate Laotian, Cambodian, or Vietnamese places. Clubs, dance halls, and gambling dens also contribute to the atmosphere, but these are usually out of bounds to westerners, as the fortunes changing hands are illegal.
