Photo courtesy Ventura County Museum
Currently there is an excellent exhibit at the Museum of Ventura County in downtown Ventura that presents the history of the Chinese who settled in the cities of Ventura and Oxnard. The exhibit, that runs through Nov. 25, 2012, honors the accomplishments and perseverance of the Chinese settlers who faced discrimination and exclusion. Ventura County Museum
Ventura's China Town developed in the late 1860s on Figueroa Street across from the Mission and along both sides of an alley running west to east behind Main St. The town called Sui Mon Gong grew to about 200 and was a self-contained community of simple wooden buildings with shops, businesses and rooming houses. Some of the businesses were opium parlors and gambling houses, which caused conflict with other residents. The Chinese were employed in the area as farm laborers and house servants.The town was removed in the 1920s and another China Town sprang up on the northeast corner of Ventura Ave. and Main St.
Today the memory of Ventura's China Town is honored on Figueroa St. by a commemorative gateway to the former China Alley and a beautiful mural by Qi Pang and his wife, Guo Song Yun. The mural, painted in 2004, depicts the lives of Ventura's Chinese. The two artists immigrated to the U.S. from China in 2000. The picture above, from the Ventura County Museum, shows a Chinese man and two children with the Mission in the background. The photos below show the gateway and mural on Figueroa St. today.
Ventura's China Town developed in the late 1860s on Figueroa Street across from the Mission and along both sides of an alley running west to east behind Main St. The town called Sui Mon Gong grew to about 200 and was a self-contained community of simple wooden buildings with shops, businesses and rooming houses. Some of the businesses were opium parlors and gambling houses, which caused conflict with other residents. The Chinese were employed in the area as farm laborers and house servants.The town was removed in the 1920s and another China Town sprang up on the northeast corner of Ventura Ave. and Main St.
Today the memory of Ventura's China Town is honored on Figueroa St. by a commemorative gateway to the former China Alley and a beautiful mural by Qi Pang and his wife, Guo Song Yun. The mural, painted in 2004, depicts the lives of Ventura's Chinese. The two artists immigrated to the U.S. from China in 2000. The picture above, from the Ventura County Museum, shows a Chinese man and two children with the Mission in the background. The photos below show the gateway and mural on Figueroa St. today.
 Commemorative China Alley Gate |  Chinese mural on Figueroa St. by Qi Pang, 2004 |
Figueroa Plaza photos by Elise DePuydt
This area is my favorite part of Ventura. I love the Mission and the Figueroa Plaza with the two fountains, beautiful tile work, Chinese mural and commemorative gate. It was this public art display that first inspired me to write a book about sculptures and fountains, and my original plan was to write a book about the entire county of Ventura. The project became so large I ended up just publishing a book about Ojai.
Photo by Peter D'Aprix, MVC Collection
In conjunction with The Chinese of Ventura County exhibit the museum is displaying The Dragon Awakes, an exhibit of George Stuart's quarter-life-size historical figures from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and the nationalist and communist leaders who followed. If you've never seen his extraordinary figures don't miss this exhibit. The Smith Gallery at the Ventura County Museum is dedicated to his work. Stuart has created hundreds of figures from various cultures and historical periods. George Stuart is a resident of Ojai and you can also see a small exhibit of his figures in the Ojai Valley Museum. Don't miss hearing Mr. Stuart's monologues that generally accompany his exhibits.
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