‘Welcome Back’ event draws crowd to Seattle’s Chinatown-International District

The Chinatown-International District is thriving again after more than a year of pandemic challenges.

SEATTLE – Seattle announces the reopening of the city with “Welcome Back Weeks” events that kicked off Saturday in the city’s Chinatown-International District (CID).

Mayor Jenny Durkan joined community leaders to kick off the celebration with events at Hing Hay Park featuring music, dance performances, a mini vaccination clinic and free artistic screen printing.

“It’s such a culturally important, culturally rich place for the city of Seattle. We want to make sure people are comfortable in their neighborhood, can walk and chat and start small businesses, ”said Durkan.

A new mural near 8th Avenue South and South Weller Streets has been unveiled by city guides and the Chong Wa Benevolent Association, a local nonprofit that promotes Chinese culture and the Chinatown community.

The wall that was once covered in graffiti is now a living mural created with the help of the OneWorld Now!

“Here we are, 16 months later, we’ve had the toughest time ever and how great it is to be revealed – brand new art,” said Durkan.

The Chinatown-International District, which, in addition to a business downturn during the pandemic, dealt with the nationwide presence of hate crimes against the Asian community.

Durkan assured the community that it is safe to enjoy the county’s many markets, restaurants, and cafes, among other things. Durkan also said the city has achieved a vaccination rate of 80%.

“We still have to be careful but we have had a really tough time and it’s time for us to open again,” said Durkan.

The celebration in the Chinatown-International District continues on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The next leg in the Welcome Back Weeks franchise will be in Seattle’s Pioneer Square on July 24th for a concert, followed by festivities in Westlake on July 25th.