The Jade Tree

The Jade Tree is one of the last remaining genuine antique galleries in Chinatown, and a gem. The owners have acquired beautiful and rare antiques over the past decades, and have been in the business since the 1950s. If you are looking for exquisite treasures and knowledgable antique dealers, you must visit this gallery. It is one of the finest in the city.

At the heart of Downtown LA’s Chinatown, Chung King Road is predictably lined with stores filled with antiques or cheap souvenirs, and sometimes unfortunately, a mishmash of both. No harm done – if you’re the average tourist, looking for some more or less «Oriental» knickknack to take home to the kids or add some kitsch to your home décor. But if it’s high-​quality, genuine Chinese antiques in excellent condition you’re after, The Jade Tree may be your best bet.
Not only are their items simply beautiful – ranging from whimsical jewelry to rosewood furniture to marble and jade carved statuettes – but also rich with history, which the store owners themselves – the Lees, a Chinese immigrant family who’ve been in the US for at least 50 years – will sometimes have lived through and will readily recount in true narrative fashion. Last time I stopped in, owner Ken regaled me with a tale of intrigue, laced with international dignitaries and blindfolded car rides before dawn, just the latest and smallest chapter in the life of a gold and jade brooch. I ended up going with something else – a tiny Monkey King figurine crafted out of brightly colored feathers – but I considered my afternoon well-​spent.
Run by a family whose love and devotion to recovering China’s history ensures the highest standards for their exquisite collection of antiques, The Jade Tree is Chinatown’s best-​kept secret. The items run on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for: beauty, history, and well-​kept rarity. Unassuming behind its modest storefront and mod lettering, it’s one treasure trove I can’t wait to visit again.