Английская Википедия:Asian Garden Mall

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Шаблон:Infobox shopping mallAsian Garden Mall, known in Vietnamese as Phước Lộc Thọ, is a shopping center in Westminster, California. Opened in 1987, Asian Garden Mall is the first and largest Vietnamese-American shopping mall and is seen as a symbol of the community. The mall is located at 9200 Bolsa Avenue, serving as the focal point of Little Saigon in Orange County and is the site of many cultural and political events in the Vietnamese-American community.

Names

In Vietnamese the mall is called Phước Lộc Thọ, which has the same meaning as the Chinese name Шаблон:Linktext (Шаблон:Transl), from the names of three deities in traditional Chinese and Vietnamese beliefs representing fortune (phước), prosperity (lộc), and longevity (thọ).Шаблон:Sfn To attract non-Vietnamese customers, the developers gave it the English name Asian Garden Mall. In Vietnamese-language media and vernacular of local Vietnamese-speaking people, the mall is invariably called Phước Lộc Thọ.Шаблон:Sfn

History

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Asian Garden Mall in 2005
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Tết celebrations at Asian Garden Mall in 2008

The history of Asian Garden Mall is intimately connected to the history of Little Saigon, underscoring its central role in the area. Following the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, many Vietnamese people moved to Orange County and started many businesses. In 1978, Frank Jao, a Vietnamese with Chinese roots,Шаблон:Sfn started the real estate firm Bridgecreek Development and bought empty land alongside Bolsa Avenue for development. By 1987, there were more than 550 businesses operating in the area,Шаблон:Sfn and each weekend brought in 20,000 to 50,000 shoppers.Шаблон:Sfn

Asian Garden Mall was developed since 1986 and opened for business the following year, as the second phase of Jao's development plan for the land that Bridgecreek owned alongside Bolsa Avenue. The first phase was a shopping center across the street from Asian Garden Mall named Asian Village, developed in 1985.Шаблон:Sfn Development involved capital from many Asian investors, including a Chinese Indonesian and Roger Chen, who started the 99 Ranch Market chain with the first location inside Asian Village.Шаблон:Sfn The total cost of the mall was $15 million.Шаблон:Sfn To attract non-Vietnamese customers and investors, Jao gave the projects names that de-emphasize their Vietnamese-ness (such as "Asian Garden Mall") and lobbied to name the area "Asiantown" instead of "Little Saigon" that many Vietnamese activists were calling for.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn However, his effort to name the area "Asiantown" was unsuccessful; meanwhile, Asian Garden Mall immediately became a mainstay of the community after opening—in 1988 the Governor of California George Deukmejian came to the mall to inaugurate the business area with the name "Little Saigon".Шаблон:Sfn

In the mid-1990s, the mall faced the prospect of irrelevancy as younger Vietnamese Americans joined mainstream society and moved further away from Little Saigon. Community leaders wanted to attract younger people. In order to attract mainstream visitors, Jao wanted to reduce the Vietnamese nature of Little Saigon.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In 1996, he proposed building a pedestrian bridge Шаблон:Cvt long and Шаблон:Cvt wide across Bolsa Avenue, to be named Harmony Bridge, connecting Asian Garden Mall and Asian Village. However, this proposal encountered stiff opposition from the Vietnamese community; opponents objected to the Chinese-influenced motifs in the bridge's exterior decorations, complaining that the design was "too Chinese" and did not accurately represent Vietnamese culture.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In the end, his company was forced to scrap the plan.Шаблон:Sfn

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Garden Mall was forced to close, along with other malls in California. To cope, the mall turned its parking lot into an open-air market with many shops.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The mall reopened in 2021 at limited capacity,Шаблон:Sfn and was fully open by 2022.

Description

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The courtyard in front of Asian Garden Mall

Asian Garden Mall is the largest shopping mall in Little SaigonШаблон:Sfn and the largest shopping center for Vietnamese people in the United States.Шаблон:Sfn Although its English name only mentions Asian people and does not specifically highlight its Vietnamese roots, goods, and services in the mall are primarily provided by Vietnamese shop owners catering to Vietnamese customers, especially cultural and culinary products.Шаблон:Sfn

The mall consists of a 2-story building, with a parking lot in the front and back.Шаблон:Sfn In front of the building there are statues of the three eponymous deities Phước, Lộc, and Thọ, along with a statue of Di-lặc.Шаблон:Sfn The building has distinctive architecture, communicating its Vietnamese and Chinese-Vietnamese heritage. It has a roof made with green tiles; in front of the building is an ornate gateway with an ornate curved roof with ridge ornaments leading to the mall. Landscaping included miniature plants and trees. Inside, the mall is decorated with Vietnamese and Asian symbols such as red paper lanterns, fans, as well as statues and figurines.Шаблон:Sfn

Inside the mall there are about 300 shops, selling Chinese herbs, cosmetics, clothing, food, CDs, and DVDs, including about 200 shops selling jewelry and gemstones.Шаблон:Sfn Cultural products for sale in the mall are primarily those made by production companies in Orange County as well as those produced in Vietnam.Шаблон:Sfn On the lower level there is a food court serving a variety of Vietnamese food, from bánh mì, phở, rice dishes, to sugarcane juice, Vietnamese iced coffee, or various fruit smoothies.Шаблон:Sfn On the upper level there are shops selling jewelry, cosmetics, and luxury goods.Шаблон:Sfn Also on the upper level is a Taoist shrine dedicated to Guan Yu.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

Visitors to the mall come from many places, representing various economic backgrounds, but are primarily Vietnamese.Шаблон:Sfn

Annual events

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Tết flower market at Asian Garden Mall

For Tết, the portion of Bolsa Avenue passing through the mall is the starting place for the annual Tết Parade organized by the city of Westminster.Шаблон:Sfn Firecrackers are set off in front of the mall to signal the start of the parade. The parade has been organized since 1996, occurring on the Saturday closest to the holiday, attracting about 20,000 annual attendeesШаблон:Sfn and is broadcast live on local Vietnamese-language TV and radio stations.

On summer weekends, the front parking lot is turned into a night market, serving snacks and attracting younger visitors. Food served at the night market are typically Vietnamese, reminiscent of the night markets in Vietnam.Шаблон:Sfn The night market attracts about 3000 visitors each night.Шаблон:Sfn

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, variety shows are performed on the stage in front of Asian Garden Mall.Шаблон:Sfn

For several weeks before Tết, the parking lot in front of the mall is turned into a holiday market, with flowers and various Tết paraphernalia available for sale.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Several days prior to the holiday, Little Saigon TV coordinates with the mall to organize contests inside the mall, attracting many participants. The contests include those for making bánh chưng, fruit decorating, and wearing the traditional áo dài.Шаблон:Sfn

Significance

Asian Garden Mall is not simply a shopping center, it also serves as a symbol for the Vietnamese community in Orange County as well as in the United States.Шаблон:Sfn It has become a tourist destination—according to surveys from the development company, about half of mall visitors come from outside Orange County.Шаблон:Sfn Many community leaders describe it as the "center" or "heart" of the Vietnamese-American community, and view its role in generating and shaping community life as significant.Шаблон:Sfn

The symbolic role of Asian Garden Mall can be seen when many politicians, especially from the Republican Party, use the mall as the venue for rallies when campaigning for political office with Vietnamese-American voters, including Bob Dole,Шаблон:Sfn John McCain,Шаблон:Sfn and George W. Bush.Шаблон:Sfn

Aside from its commercial use, the mall is also used as a communal space. Many elderly people use it to meet up with friends, play Chinese chess, or drink coffee.Шаблон:Sfn As the most famous and most recognizable landmark in Little Saigon, Asian Garden Mall also serves as an orienting device—a central meeting place with friends before going elsewhere. Although the mall is described as the "heart" of Little Saigon, many locals try to avoid going there directly because of the crowds and difficulty finding a parking spot. Karín Aguilar-San Juan of Macalester College argues in her book about Little Saigons that the mall has become a mental destination, with possibly bigger meaning than just a shopping venue.Шаблон:Sfn

Gallery

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English language
Vietnamese language

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External links

Шаблон:Shopping malls in California

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