Find health and good bargains at
Panama's China Town

The area has been inhabited by Chinese families since the mid-19th century.

Panama’s China Town may not be the most aesthetic of all places, but can surely be good for your health; at least that is what Rosa, a clerk at Casa del Té ("The Tea House") will tell you. For the last ten years, Panamanians have visited her humble establishment to cure everything from bad breath and weight problems to circulatory and cholesterol and kidney ailments. Her remedies include the most complete mixture of millenary herbs from the Orient: black tea, green tea and "Dr. Wang’s Tea" a very popular, but secret infusion which allegedly reduces blood sugar levels and triglycerides.

Although it is located in a run-down part of town, between Avenida B and Avenida Balboa, in the old district of San Felipe, Panama City’s China Town is still visited by people of all social extractions, many of whom arrive as early as 6:00 a.m., not only to seek acupuncture, chiropractic and herb treatments, but to find fresh produce and an endless variety of products from the orient and other parts of the world. Featuring scores of wholesale stores, the area is an "off-the-beaten-track" shopping paradise for those seeking an exotic ambiance...you could be in the back streets of Macau, but probably safer.

The variety of products found at China Town is endless.

China Town is a cultural icon, the first Isthmian home of hundreds of coolies who arrived during the mid-19th century to work, along other ethnic groups, in the construction of the Panama Railroad –the world’s first transcontinental line. Although disease and construction accidents proved fatal to many of them (local folklore says that every sleeper along the track represents a dead Chinese man) the community thrived on commerce. By the late 1800’s, the area known today as Salsipuedes (also located within China Town and meaning "get out if you can") was mostly inhabited by middle-class Chinese families.

Expect to find great remedies for all types of ailments.

Chinese culture is strong in Panama, representing around 6% of the population, according to estimates. There is virtually no community in the country without its Chinese grocery store or restaurant. Their members are well-represented in every trade and occupation.