Chinatown in Temple district

This stroll between the Musée des Arts et Métiers and the northern part of Le Marais district encompasses the original Chinatown.
Usually, many people refer to the 13th district of Paris when speaking of Paris Chinatown. However, the influence of the Little Asia of the 13th district is essentially Indochinese, even though the refugees who arrived in Paris in the late 1970s from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were ethnic-Chinese for a large part. In the 3rd district, the community is clearly Chinese, essentially from Wenzhou, a southern province of Shanghai.
They came to France during World War,to replace the men who left the yards and factories for the front. The French Ministry of Labour sent a commission to China in order to recruit voluntary civil workers. When the war ended, some workers went back to China, others stayed in France. They worked on the reconstruction of railways and roads. Or as related in the novel "The Great Swindle" by Pierre Lemaitre, they were hired to clean the battlefields or in the military cemeteries to bury the bodies of soldiers. About one thousand Chinese were in France in 1929.They settled in the northern part of Le Marais only at the end of World War II, and took over flats and Leather Goods activities left by the large numberof deported Jews.
Even though the Chinese wholesalers moved massively to Aubervilliers (a north-eastern suburb of Paris) these last years, there are still many Chinese shops and restaurants in the district around rue du Temple, rue au Maire, rue Volta and rue des Gravilliers.

During the Chinese New Year, many red lanterns are hanging everywhere in the streets, contrasting with the classical buildings of the 17^thand 18^thcenturies.

Itinerary

I suggest you take metro line 11 and stop at Arts et Métiers. The station was designed in 1994 by François Schuiten, a Belgian comic artist, known for the graphic novel Cities of the Fantastic.

We will pass by the Musée des Arts et Métiers, the churches of Saint-Martin des Champs and Saint-Nicolas des Champs, we will walk through the streets of the Chinese Quarter, then through the charming Passage de l'Ancre and we will finish by the Marché des Enfants-Rouges before we return to our starting point.

Arts et Métiers metro station

Stepping out of the train, you immediately embark on Jules Verne's Nautilus. With its copper walls, the subway transforms into a submarine operated by the huge cogs on the ceiling. Along the platform, the portholes open onto some of the collections presented above in the Musée des Arts et Métiers (Museum of Arts and Crafts). It is a shame that it is not sufficiently known, as it presents a vast array of machines invented through the centuries.

Jules Vernes in his own way was quite an inventor himself. As a matter of fact, in his novel, Paris in the twentieth century (Paris au XXème siècle), he imagined Paris in 1960, a hundred years ahead of his time when he wrote it. In a stunning and quite visionary way, he painted a highly technological world at the service of money where culture became marginal, if not an exception. He described a machine that could give immediate result of complex depreciation and interest calculations with all possible rates simply by pressing keys on a keyboard. So close to a computer! Yet so far from machines already known at his time, like the ones invented by Pascal, Perrault and Thomas de Colmar, that all can be seen in the interesting Musée des Arts et Métiers.

Musée Arts et Métiers

Going out of the metro station, let’s go southwest towards rue Réaumur and turn right onto rue Réaumur where the museum is located.

In the courtyard of the museum, the first bronze model of the Statue of Liberty is welcoming the visitors. Being the achievement of the combined talents of the sculptor Bartholdi and the engineer Eiffel, it is indeed a fine symbol for this museum of Arts and Technology.
The old church of Saint-Martin des Champs, built in the middle of the 11th century, is the remains of a priory suppressed during the French Revolution in 1789 and transformed into the Conservatory of Arts and Crafts in 1794. Part of the museum, the medieval church displays the Foucault's pendulum along with Ader's and Blériot's airplanes, creating an amazing contrast.

Let’s carry on straight ahead and turn left onto rue Saint-Martin to see an other church, Saint-Nicolas des Champs.

Church of Saint-Nicolas des Champs

During the Middle Ages, many churches were under the patronage of Nicolas, protector of sailors and boatmen.
At the beginning of the 12th century, Saint-Nicolas des Champs was a chapel, belonging to the Abbey of Saint-Martin located in the fields, outside the walls of Paris.
In 1420 the building was completely rebuilt. At the end of the 16th century, the church was too small for the growing population and it was considerably enlarged with new constructions.
The church that we see today is one of the longest in Paris and we are actually more impressed by its size itself than by its very simple architecture.

This simplicity may come from the fact that the church was hidden by high surrounding houses and basically only the gate on the southern side rue Cunin Gridaine was exposed.

The small elegant gate on the southern side is a copy of a gate of the Royal Hotel des Tournelles, demolished after King Henri II died there in 1559 from the wounds he received in a joust.

I entered once into the church, during the daily mass around noon. I remember how I was immediately stunned by the religious fervor of the people gathered for the mass. The priest was singing and his clear voice was rising along the high arches of the church. I remember also that it was Valentine's day for the lovers outside. Inside, the priest was celebrating the brothers Cyril and Methodious, Apostles to the Slavs. What a contrast !

Comparing today with the photo taken by Atget ca 1898, there are very few changes; only a new clock, now barely visible and the walls of the mass grave now removed and replaced by a fence.

After strolling along rue Cunin Gridaine, where I saw very impressive ravens, let's cross rue de Turbigo and go onto rue au Maire.

Rue au Maire

We are now entering into the Chinese district, centered around the streets au Maire, des Gravilliers, Chapon and Volta. The change of scenery in this part of le Marais is guaranteed! The classical buildings tell us that we are still in the northern part of le Marais, yet they are all lined up with Chinese shops. Most of them are wholesalers of leather bags, imitation jewelry, and clothes together with food stores and restaurants.
I was surprised to see that the quaint clothes store photographed by Atget was neither replaced by a Chinese clothes wholesaler nor by a Chinese mini-market, but just an ordinary cheap supermarket. Only the headless mannequins and the "nombreuses attractions"(numerous attractions) are all gone, leaving a blank wall, all grey and dirty.

Boutique, 61 rue au Maire
Atget

Rue Volta

We are now walking past rue Volta where the half-timbered house looks so medieval that it was long thought to be the oldest in Paris. In fact, the oldest house in Paris is the house of Nicolas Flamel, built in 1407 located nearby rue de Montmorency. (Medieval Paris)

Maison Nicolas Flamel

Rue des Vertus / Cour de Rome

If possible, enter into Cour de Rome (private lane) at no 7 of rue au Maire to arrive directly rue des Gravilliers. Otherwise, turn right onto rue des Vertus and right onto rue des Gravilliers.

Rue des Vertus actually means Street of Virtues. Without a confirmed origin of the street name, there can be no certainty that it was related to prostitution. In any case, in a book about Paris, I have found these lines potentially confirming that yes indeed prostitution took place in all the area:

Dans la rue des Gravilliers
Elles y sont par milliers,
Dans la rue Pastourelle
Autant de putains que de maquerelles ;
Dans la rue des Vertus
Autant de coupeaux que de cocus

That I would translate as follows ...

In the street of Gravilliers
Thousands of hookers here to play,
In the street of Pastourelle
As many whores as brothels
In the street of Vertus
Plenty of cuckolded spouses

Rue des Gravilliers

Let's take the shortcut on n°19, rue des Gravilliers leading to rue Chapon.
Created in 2015 by the artist unSolub, a giant wall fresco ranging from white to deep black covers all the walls and the ceiling. It is as if entering into an incredible scenery of a comic strip. Flying machines inspired by Gustav Mesmer's universe swoop down on impossible staircases, among vegetation and huge cogs; a door opens if you cut round the dotted lines.
Towards the end of the path way, close to rue Chapon, art galleries (initators of the fresco) have replaced the old mechanical workshops. 

Nous tournons à droite dans la rue Chapon.

Rue Chapon

At nr 13, as can be seen on Atget’s photograph the old 17th century mansion  was occupied by several craftsmen like an engraver, a photographer and a jeweler. Today the large commercial signs are gone and we can see a smiling faun above the the porch.

With its ornate balcony, its wrought iron banisters and its arched side wings, the courtyard is very elegant too.

At nr 22, a pair of sphinxes are guarding the entrance of the mansion. Their Egyptian aspect is in contrast with the red Chinese lantern; though it should not be taken as a proof of the theory claiming that the Chinese civilization would come from Ancient Egypt! …

We turn right onto rue Beaubourg and left onto rue des Gravilliers.

I remember having met once with Marius, an on-site knife sharpener. He was driving his black London taxi in all Paris to offer on-site sharpening services. Marius is now living in the country and he traded his beautiful cab for a horse-drawn wagon).

Rue des Gravilliers

The mansion, Hôtel d'Estrées, at nr 70, rue des Gravilliers has also quite an elegant courtyard.

It is just located in front of an other d'Estrées mansion built by the grandfather of Gabrielle d'Estrées – (she was mistress of King Henry IV of France). At the back of the pretty courtyard, you will find the entrance of Derrière (back ...), a trendy and good restaurant with a funny cosy decor as per their sense of humour.

We turn now on our left onto rue de Turbigo up to nr 30 where we enter into the charming passage de l’Ancre.

Passage de l'Ancre

The passage de l'Ancre is aligned with the passage de Bourg l'Abbé (last one of Covered Passages), across boulevard de Sébastopol. But this one is an open-air passage and older since created in 1792. Although it has very few stores, it is quite nice. 
Until January 2021, there was Pep's, the last umbrella manufacturer and repairer in Paris.
There is still a shop that I like very much, La Mécanique du Pull, manufacturer of eco responsible sweaters. A beautiful work that lasts. The creator is a passionate person. He comes from a family tradition in knitting for three generations. His grandfather had his weaving machines in the heart of Paris, passage Vendôme.

Going out of the Passage, we arrive rue Saint-Martin that we cross to go onto rue Chapon. Then we turn right onto rue Beaubourg. There are plenty of Chinese restaurants for a lunch break; such as Royal China, excellent value for money, serving home-made rice noodles and rolls.

Rue Beaubourg

In the past, there was a Carmelite convent between rue Chapon, rue de Montmorency and rue Beaubourg. It was closed during the French Revolution and demolished in 1796 to be replaced by several buildings and a theatre Theatre Doyen. They were photographed by Atget before their demolition in 1914 to be replaced into a school and office building.

The today rue Beaubourg is the result of merged streets. One of them, the rue Transnonain was between rue au Maire and rue Michel le Comte.

No sign today reminds a violent repression against a popular uprising on April 14th, 1834. The day before, several riots ensued in reaction of several measures decided by Louis-Philippe's government  restraining freedom of expression and banning political associations. During the night of 13th to 14th, several barricades built around rue Transnonain were rapidly suppressed by soldiers. As the fight seemed over, a shot was fired from a house at the corner of rue de Montmorency. It was immediately followed by a brutal slaughter under the lead of General Bugeaud who subsequently got the surname of the Butcher of rue Transnonain; an image rather far from the famous nursery song having to do with Bugeaud's cap, that led children to believe in a friendly General... The soldiers entered the building shooting all the inhabitants, men, women and children. Of the lithograph made by Daumier memorializing the horrible event , Baudelaire wrote: Under this cold mansard, only silence and death reign.