Hing Hay Park

Chinatown has a few nice landmarks to visit, but not a whole lot to do unless you're their to explore the food options. There are lots of restaurants, Bruce Lee restaurants, and boba drinks around this park. There will be people out there playing pinpong in the early morning. Right outside the skirt of chinatown becomes pretty sketchy, so be careful. There are lots of homeless people around every corner. We went there pretty early on a Sunday 10am and almost no stores were open. Visit there in the afternoon.

Pleasant public space with very distinctive architecture. Lots of fantastic food nearby. However, the area feels gloomy at night.

So glad that the community has a park like this for them. Was reading other reviews that talk about some of the other events that are held here, and it sounds really cool! You can see people of all ages using the fitness facilities, and people playing chess and other things. It's great! Definitely enjoyed being able to read about the reason behind why things were designed this way, and placed in a specific manner. Simple, beautiful, and very meaningful!

This is a beautifully designed park with ample covered space, plenty of places to sit, and even some exercise equipment. On Saturdays there is a busker who plays beautiful cultural music. Very pretty in the evening when the overhead lights and the stairs come on. Many events held here, worth spending some time listening to the music and having some tea on a Saturday.

This was Chinese new year celebration. Street food vendors sat up. In general, there are a lot of restaurants and bakeries. There are markers and deli. The park is like a stage. It is not very clean and there are homeless walking around. I feel okay walking around in the morning not night time. Parking: pay or look on King street for free parking but you will need to walk.

Hing Hay Park is the center of the International District (aka Chinatown) in Seattle, WA. It's beautiful to see folks playing chess and other games over there. It's peaceful. Sometimes, there are events such as Night Market, Food Sampling, and Live Band playing. It is all connected to this park. There are plenty of good places to eat next to the park. I recommend a visit, especially during the summer months.

Nice Asian themed Park, saw some people playing chess and ping pong and several just relaxing. Felt safe, looked clean. Free. Photo op

Small yet popular park. There always seemed to be a group of people there whether they were playing table tennis, chess, or just sitting around. The park does not seem to be frequently maintained, there were definitely some parts that needed cleaning and upkeep. The park is starting to show its age

Nice little park in Seattle's Chinatown neighborhood that feels very community-focused. My mother and I walked around the space while making our way from the Historic Chinatown Gate to KOBO, and we enjoyed watching some folks play ping-pong and chess as we walked by. There was also a large Connect 4 game on the outside of one of the buildings.. My only regret is not also making a quick stop at night in order to see the lighted steps. That aside though, it's a great little park.

Hing Hay Park is community focused. Its history goes back to eons as a small park with a little pagoda, ping pong tables, and a few chairs and tables. Luckily, the city demolished the adjacent post office and gave the space to the park, doubling its size. In 2018, the grand opening was celebrated. Having this park is priceless for the many low-income residents in the area who live in SRO, i.e. single room occupancy. They have no yards, no balconies. Going to this park is the only way they can spend time outside and have some fresh air. With the expansion, they have added some design elements that are best seen at night - Chinese styled art on the red color lighted steps (see photos). And just last week, they hung red and gold globe string lights, just in time for Lunar New York. Yay!! We can't talk about this park without talking safety. During the daytime, with rare exceptions, it's perfectly safe. Many elderly will hang out when the weather is nice. In the night time, many people will choose to stay away, or frankly walk fast. Things have been better in the last 6 months or so. In the much later hours (maybe past 9 to 10pm), loitering and public disruptions are still a common theme. I still go to CID with a passion, supporting the many mom and pop businesses. Hing Hay Park is a place that I walk by and appreciate it as a place for the Asian locals. I also come for the many community events and street fairs that occur regularly, especially during the summer. Love Chinatown!

Lovely square with several levels because Seattle is in hills. A lot of people are playing all sorts of games. Many colors and children. I was lucky to be here on a sunny day.

This was a very interesting place to stop by. People were playing games, they have chess, and other things to do here.

I love the effort they've but into this park the past few years and how they bridge the old with the new. I attended the unveiling of the Celebrate Happiness Lantern, the most recent addition to the park last night. Was wonderfully to see the community come out, baked humbows were handed out to those that attended. Inspired by a sky lantern local artist George Lee designed and built this eight sided aluminum red lantern in the Seattle ID. As a Japanese American born and raised in Seattle, it was nice to hear them tell of the internment of the Japanese community and what part they played in developing the ID, as well as noting we are on Duwamish land and thanking the first people of Puget Sound Lushootseed is one of the languages on the lantern "On three faces primary text is displayed, each on one face: 慶喜公園, Hing Hay Park, and Celebrate Happiness. On two panels, adjacent on each side of primary text panels, are additional languages of communities within the CID. At night, the lettering is illuminated, and all of the same languages are projected below the lantern onto the ground below". It's beautiful in daylight but definitely checkout when it's dark out. The cute Panda paper lanterns were just up for the evening great touch feom another local artist Nolan Lee known for his Punching Panda character.

Great park, and very well maintained. I loved the ping pong table. Nearly everyone was very relaxed and some people were enjoying their meal.

Small concrete park in the Chinatown district of Seattle, it's a clever design due to the sloping nature of the ground here. Stairs, ramps, a couple of small fountain waterfall features. Benches and tables. Plenty of seating all around. A very nice space if you need to catch your breath and work out what's next.

This park was so great. We walked all over the city yesterday and our favorite place to stop and rest was this little park- an unexpected surprise! We were looking for a nearby geocache and it was great to spend some time sitting in he shade and watching a pair of elderly men playing an extremely intense game of ping pong, and a young couple enjoying the large chess set. What a lovely public space. Plus the little umbrellas over the tables were adorable! Make sure to check out the tea tasting across the street, too!

This can seem bittersweet but that shouldn't detract from what the park means to the community. I'll start off w/ the negative then finish with a positive happy ending. The original eastern half can be slightly better maintained; it feels stagnant. While it does show some charming natural aging over time, some things can be touched up (the bulletin board kiosk and giving the stone tablets next to the Bush Hotel a nice scrub). The newer western half of the former Post Office site seems to have lackluster concrete work. Whoever designed (and approved) the extension, the creativity seems to have lacked potential in the concrete work (the open walking spaces and raised bench portions) - they could've done more patterning, colored concrete, maybe even some unique pavers, etc... The raised bench portions that separate the landscaping do have some neat french curves winding through but to me that's it. During night time, the eastern half isn't properly lit. The western half lighting is fairly decent and more welcoming. There are rat traps spread out along the perimeter tucked in and you may spot 1+ scurrying through in the distance but that just comes with the territory. Sometimes the bums do hang out [annoyingly] near the pagoda and next to the Bush Hotel side. Just be aware of your surroundings; don't get lost in your electronic devices while losing track of your environment (be safe; use common sense). Now, what's good?! The original side is nice, historical and has been great to wander about for various activities for a long time. Once the new expansion finished, though, that brought in some new life, energy and spirit to Hing Hay Park (and I think Chinatown). No longer is the park contained to this once stagnant quarter-block that longed for a new, refreshed beginning. It now feels more spacious & welcoming, charming & inviting; some of the new vibes seem to spread throughout the park entirely. The prominent red artistic features are nice. The corner large trapezoidal arc is a great feature, day & night (with decent night self-lighting). Lots of neat spots to chill over lunch, catch up, etc. The metal stencil work in the integrated step seating is cool but you can't really appreciate/notice its detail much until nighttime when they're lit up. Just plan to visit at dusk when the artistic lights come on. Hing Hay Park is reborn anew. I look forward to what the future will bring to this ID centerpiece.

I been to Seattle's Chinatown twice in a week. First time I completely overlooked it, second time the power went out in Chinatown so we actually ended up staying here for about 30 minutes. The park is tiny but very relaxing. My friend and I sat at the bench and just people watch, we watched a little girl play chess. I wasn't sure what was going on, end up chatting with the little girl's mother and she didn't even know what was going on, who was winning or what. Haha, but it was still entertaining. I see a lot of older Asian folks with their homemade food chatting up with friends and having a good time. It's like a kick it spot for the grandma's and grandpa's. Super cute, I love the fact that the park is so colorful with the bright colors. Friendly people, smiles everywhere you turn in this relaxing and peaceful park. If I lived in Seattle I would definitely come back with a book or maybe lunch to just spend a day by myself. There's also a ping pong table! But you gotta bring your own paddle and ping pong balls. This is definitely a place to go if you want some alone time or a place to chill after you get some coffee or boba.

A nice place to pull up a seat and get some fresh air in the ID. With a large open area and a stage this is a popular place for people to hang out. Community shows, political demonstrations, or just sitting and chatting with your friends - there's always something to do in this park. When the weather is nicer there are chairs and games available to the public. There's also a geocache in this park, if you're tall enough to reach it! :-p

this park was alright. . came on a Saturday morning and there were a couple groups of people just chilling. It was nice because there was a giant chess board and ping pong tables where people were hanging out. the park itself is pretty small and the surrounding area isn't very clean

Like it's Chinatown surroundings, Hing Hay Park is neither large nor impressive, but there is so much more to this place. Many memories were captured here, from people shows to casual strolls. Even over the years, it hasn't changed much and remains beautifully in tact the same way I've always remembered it. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the International District, this Seattle landmark happens to be one of my favorite spots in the city. It's clean, it's got character, and it's as variable as seasons of the year - quiet during the fall, beautiful during the winter, a hot bed of activity throughout the spring and summer. It's a great spot to people watch, from the Tai Chi lessons in the morning to the occasional Chinese opera singers to the skaters experimenting with their boards at night. I enjoyed sitting around during post-Dim Sum afternoons and watching elder Chinese folk play Chinese chess under the Pagoda and people watching as they calmly walked into the Seattle breeze. Hing Hay is the Cantonese variation of Qingxi, Chinese for "congratulatory happiness" which when paired together create a context of a pleasurable gathering, a place where people meet to celebrate something. A fitting name I suppose, it does embody a lot of positive vibes (qi) and brings a nostalgic happiness to me with every visit.

This park is newly expanded with more modern looks and amenities, still retains the classic original property, giving a curious park visitor a bit of history in one of the cultural centers of Seattle. The International District has numerous monuments to diversity, and this is one of the more impressive ones. You can read about the history on Wikipedia, so let me tell you about why you should go here. Too many people I've talked to have skirted by this park without noticing it or appreciating it fully. With the recent expansion, I would encourage you to make it a point to visit and spend some there. The 'ID' as it is called may have some tougher characters in it, and I can almost guarantee you will smell urine soaked sidewalks on your way there because you walked and took mass transit instead of trying to drive and park in Seattle like a crazy person. There are some really great shops in the area though, and if you're looking for the multicultural aspect of Seattle, this is one of the hubs in a massive wheel you could spend days exploring. The pinball museum is close by, bubble tea, and eateries galore can give you hours of entertainment, not to mention being close to one of the larger transit hubs of the city. This place is too convenient to pass up, even for just a short trip. You can easily get there, enjoy some tea and get back to catch your train in under an hour. Don't miss out!

Good sized park in Chinatown to sit down and relax especially under the sunshine in the summer! I noticed some elderly Chinese people playing cards there as well as other locals sitting down to drink tea, eat dinner, or something like that. This park was renovated for expansion and looks a lot nicer than before!

Looking for a place to practice or perform arts? This is the perfect place. It has great space, and a lot of people come here everyday too!

It's is a 0.3-acre public park in the International District of Seattle, Washington. At the corner of S. King Street and Maynard Avenue S., the park has an authentic pagoda in the center, along with benches and chess tables. Tai chi classes and free music are presented in the summer. A good place for photos, I guess.

Hing Hay has the simplicity and elegance that makes me want to spend hours there. Many a summer day, I have met a friend for lunch in the International District, then made my way to Hing Hay to finish off a lunch date with great conversation, beautiful surroundings, and ID style. Aside from Hing Hay standing alone, I've been to many events there. I love being in the center of the action. A day at Hing Hay watching taiko drummers, lion dances, and connecting with Asian culture - amazing! Need a picture perfect photo op? You've found the right place. Whether on a quiet day when there is no one around or on a busy day where a photo booth is set up there, memories are made of this stuff! Some speak of safety issues around Hing Hay. I've never felt unsafe whether by myself or with others. Seattle Police has a fairly good presence in the area. I think the one thing I disliked back in the day was those weird bathrooms that the City bought. Whether for an event or just hanging out, Hing Hay is a nice place to chill.

There is a quiet beauty in the simplicity of Hing Hay Park. A pagoda stands before a reach of concrete that breaks itself into stairs and is reminiscent of a Shinto temple and its courtyard staring at a mountain expanse. In the evening, it becomes a lot more quiet than other reviewers may suggest. In the dark stillness of one such evening, I looked at the Pagoda with a confused yearning. It felt familiar. I had walked by it so many times, thousands even, but tonight, it somehow resonated with me more than it ever had before. Maybe it was the way my breath wisped out in front of me like ghosts, beckoning me to somewhere important, but nowhere in particular. Maybe it was the way the cold pinched at my cheeks in ways grandmothers do on the television. Not my grandmother, though. Not Asian grandmothers. Maybe it was solemnity of a cold, quiet night combined with the enrapturing laughter of family dinners carried on the scent of barbequed pork escaping from nearby restaurants. Some secret recipe of the night left me hungry, staring at the pagoda. I wondered how many scents I'll never smell. How many ancestors I'll never know the names of. How many breaths will I never know the heat of. The small, simple structure, adorned in primary colors, was steps away, but felt so far in the dense darkness. I wondered if it felt like me. Different from the buildings around it, so much smaller, so colorful, so obviously different in it's history. Does it feel at home in this park? Does it wish it were somewhere else? Does it know it doesn't belong anywhere else either? In the morning, grandfathers will play chess and rebellious teenagers will smoke cigarettes at this park, and the pagoda will be here. And maybe I will be here. In this neighborhood of in-betweens and outsides. A neighborhood of Asian and America. A neighborhood always seeking to pick one or the other, when it's really both.

I have been going here for a few years now for the Chinatown ID Night Market 6pm - 11pm http://www.cidbia.org/ this is fun for young and old and it is free you don't have to buy anything, but there will be lots of stuff to temp you so Bring Cash as it is out doors so no card machines there is food treats and stuff to buy it is all very inexpensive and fun, The market will begin with the Lion Dance, meant to usher in good spirits, followed by martial-arts demonstrations and tournament games, including a Bruce Lee trivia contest. At 9 p.m., Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" will be screened, with subtitles in Spanish. I am looking forward to going again tonight, I hope some of my friends will join me

Hing Hay Park is where the Asian community gathers for late night movies, independence days,lion dancing, night markets, Tai Chi, or parades. For such a small park to bring together Asians of all types is a remarkable thing. I have been here on several occasions to surprisingly see Asians of all kinds talking, laughing, smiling, and interacting with no ounce of difference. This is the sense of community I enjoy seeing.

This place is pretty! But I wouldn't want to hang out here too long, or after dark. Sometimes the people around the park area can be questionable. But definitely walk through here at least once.