Ming Wah Restaurant
Spokane, WA Photo and info courtesy Josh Hudgens / 2007
The weathered neon at Ming Wah has been catching the eyes of Spokane motorists for decades. It has that unmistakable old-school Chinese restaurant look, the kind of sign that makes you wonder how many thousands of people have passed beneath it over the years. 07-07
Even back in 2007, the restaurant looked like it had already seen a few decades of stories. Inside, though, Ming Wah kept doing what neighborhood restaurants do best—serving generous portions and welcoming regular customers who kept coming back.
In 2020, the landmark sign unexpectedly collapsed while the restaurant was temporarily closed. Rather than replace it with something modern, owner Kam Kwong made it clear the old neon deserved to stay. After being carefully rebuilt and restored, the familiar sign once again lights up West Third Avenue.
UPDATE: Ming Wah Restaurant remains open for takeout, and its beautifully restored vintage neon sign continues to welcome customers to this longtime Spokane favorite. 07-26
Peking Garden
Spokane, WA Photo courtesy Josh Hudgens / 2007
The old neon sign at Peking Garden outlasted the restaurant itself. After a devastating fire destroyed the building, the lot sat empty for months, but the sign never came down. Standing alone beside Sprague Avenue, it became an unusual reminder that one of Spokane's longtime Chinese restaurants had once stood there. 07-07
The restaurant was eventually rebuilt on the same site, and when it reopened at the end of 2004, the familiar sign lit up once again to welcome customers back. It was one of those rare cases where the roadside landmark survived long enough to see the business return.
Today, the restaurant operates under a different name, but it's hard not to think about that period when the old sign stood watch over an empty lot, patiently waiting for the building to come back.
UPDATE: Peking Garden is now Happiness Chinese Restaurant. The original neon sign remained through the rebuilding of the restaurant, but it has since been replaced as part of the property's transition to its new identity. 07-26
Hung Far Low (Closed)
Portland, OR Photo courtesy Jeffrey Cook / 2005
The giant Hung Far Low sign has been one of Portland's most recognizable neon landmarks for generations. Promising "Chop Suey" and "Cocktails" in brilliant neon, it was impossible to miss while passing through Old Town Chinatown. 11-07
Opened in 1928, Hung Far Low became a Portland institution, serving classic Chinese-American favorites while generations of customers climbed the narrow staircase to the famous upstairs lounge. It was the kind of place that felt frozen in time, where the glowing sign outside hinted at decades of stories waiting inside.
UPDATE: This sign for the Hung Far Low restaurant has been removed. However, word is the sign has been taken down to be repaired. This sign dates back to 1928. According to a Portland Mercury article, the sign should be put back up afterwards but nothing is certain due to the costs. 12-08
In 2005, the restaurant left its longtime Chinatown home for a new location across town. Although the business eventually closed in 2015, the story didn't end there. The landmark neon sign was carefully restored and returned to its original corner, where it once again lights up the neighborhood that made it famous.
UPDATE: Hung Far Low is gone, but its beautifully restored neon sign once again shines over Portland's Chinatown, preserving one of the city's classic roadside landmarks. 07-26
Ming Tree (Gone)
Shelton, WA Photo courtesy E Echtle
For years, the glowing neon at Ming Tree welcomed visitors into downtown Shelton. Standing along Railroad Avenue, it was one of those classic Chinese restaurant signs that added a little extra color to an evening drive through town. 04-09
The Ming Tree served generations of locals with familiar Chinese-American favorites and became a longtime Shelton tradition. Housed in a building that once served as the town's first post office, it was the kind of neighborhood restaurant where many families celebrated birthdays, gathered after ball games, or simply stopped in for dinner.
The restaurant closed in 2019, and the building has since found a new life as the Wilde Irish Pub. Unfortunately, the landmark neon sign that had greeted customers for decades was removed during the property's renovation.
UPDATE: The Ming Tree Restaurant is gone, and the historic neon sign no longer stands along Railroad Avenue. 07-26
Golden Dragon (Gone)
Portland, OR Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser
The two signs at Golden Dragon always caught my attention. High above the roof sat the faded "Buffet" marquee, while down at street level the long green "Chop Suey & Cocktails" sign stretched across the sidewalk, greeting downtown Portland with a look that had clearly earned every bit of its weathered character. 09-10
Golden Dragon was one of those classic Chinese-American restaurants that seemed perfectly at home in the city. It wasn't flashy or polished. Instead, it had the kind of well-worn appearance that comes from decades of serving customers while the neighborhood around it slowly changed. The faded paint, aging signs, and old storefront all worked together to create a scene that felt increasingly rare.
By the time this photo was taken, the rooftop marquee had already begun showing its age, yet that only made it more interesting. Sometimes the signs with a little rust and peeling paint have the most personality. They tell you they've been standing watch over the street for a very long time.
Golden Dragon (Gone)
Portland, OR Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser
Not long after this visit, the restaurant disappeared as the building was converted to another use. Both of the familiar roadside signs were removed, ending one more chapter in Portland's collection of vintage neon and old commercial architecture.
UPDATE: The Golden Dragon restaurant is gone, and both the rooftop "Buffet" marquee and the green "Chop Suey & Cocktails" sign have been removed from the building. 07-26
Golden Pheasant (Gone)
Sunnyside, WA Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Welcome to the Golden Pheasant restaurant in Sunnyside, WA. This sign is worth a trip to Sunnyside to see and is located next door to the tiki themed Safari restaurant. The Golden Pheasant opened for business in 1952 then was destroyed by a fire in 1972. 11-10
Opened in 1952 as Sunnyside's first Chinese restaurant, the Golden Pheasant became a longtime local favorite. A fire destroyed the original building around 1972 or 1973, but the restaurant was rebuilt and continued serving customers for decades while the familiar pheasant sign remained a fixture out front.
UPDATE: The restaurant remains closed. The Golden Pheasant shut its doors in 2010. 09-17
The restaurant closed in 2009, and the sign stood watch for another ten years before finally being removed in 2020 as the building was prepared for a new tenant.
UPDATE: The Golden Pheasant is gone, and the building now houses another restaurant. The landmark pheasant sign has also been removed. 07-26
Hung Far Low (Closed)
Ming Tree (Gone)
Golden Dragon (Gone)
Golden Dragon (Gone)
