PJ Final Project

A Weekend at the Wong's Family Association

by Austin Wang

The Wong's Family association is located on Beach Street, next to the Chinatown Gate, the center of activity in Boston's Chinatown. This is an especially active spot on the weekends, when Chinatown locals join early-rising non-Chinese Bostonians for Dim Sum at the restaurants on Tyler Street, shoppers bargain loudly as they gather food for the weekly family dinner, while stress-free youngsters romp in the local playground. Apart from all the chaos of the street, members of the Wong's family association prepare for a day of learning and relaxation.

The association was established in the 1960s in Chinatown to act as a community body and gathering place where members can socialize. Since the mid-1970s, its headquarters has been relocated to No. 78 Beach Street, and it has served as the center of their social, managerial, and ceremonial functions, as well as a general activity center. The two prior tenants were dress manufacturers; hence the building witnessed the garment industry boom in the 20s. One is reminded of its past by its industrial stone facades and utilitarian interior layout.