Quiet celebration in Chinatown

CHINESE New Year -- the Year of the Dog -- is fast approaching, and fittingly you can see signs of renewal in L.A.’s Chinatown: new stores such as the hip housewares emporium Realm, bright new paper lanterns swaying over the courtyard and clusters of out-of-towners, fresh off a tour bus and wielding maps (yet still looking lost). But here in the Central Courtyard, off Broadway, comfort comes from the old -- an old cement bench, its crimson railing time-worn with surprising beauty; Chinese old-timers, chattering over coffee in the square; in the distance, more paper lanterns, these faded by the sun, their tassels not quite so golden and shiny. With the imperfection comes charm, and clearly others agree: Sit on that concrete bench, and soon you’ll notice that the miniature rose bushes nearby lie naked, flowerless, their blooms pinched off by earlier admirers. No matter. Stay a while. Soak up the mix of authenticity and artifice, kitsch and cool. Shoppers, diners, gallery-goers -- the new faces of Chinatown will pass by. And the old ones will stay, lingering in the sun.