Right here on Rue de Choisy we find ourselves at a crossroads of cultures and eras. This avenue tells a story of Paris. It began as a Roman road heading towards Lyon.
Did you know that Rue de Choisy was once called the chemin de Vitry? That was way back in 1672. It got its current name because it led to Choisy-le-Roi.
Imagine Mademoiselle de Montpensier building a chateau in Choisy-le-Roi. She bequeathed it to the son of Louis XIV. This chateau became a royal residence. Louis XV even used it as a refuge with Madame de Pompadour. The French Revolution changed everything. The chateau was confiscated and eventually demolished.
Today Rue de Choisy is the heart of Paris’s Chinatown. Or perhaps more accurately its quartier asiatique. You will find Chinese Vietnamese Cambodian and Laotian communities here.
Listen to the sounds around us. It is a soundwalk. Close your eyes. What do you hear? It is not just the sounds of today. It is the echoes of the past.
Let’s talk about cars. At number 3 Avenue de Choisy there is a mosaic of an early motor car. It was made by Panhard Levassor a French automobile manufacturer. Why is it here?
Well this area was once home to the Panhard Levassor automobile plant. The Italie XIII project transformed this area. It was a vast urban scheme. The complex here is called L’ensemble Masséna. It was built on the site of the former Panhard Levassor plant.
René Panhard and Émile Levassor founded their company in 1887. They built their first car in 1890. In 1891 they built their own model. It featured four wheels a front-mounted engine and rear wheel drive. This became the standard for automobiles for the next century.
At number 27 Rue de Choisy is another reminder of the past. It is l’Église Saint-Hippolyte. Jules Astruc built this church between 1909 and 1924. Hippolyte Panhard donated the land. He was the son of René Panhard. He was also a director and chairman of Panhard Levassor.
The church might seem out of place in Chinatown. But inside it is very peaceful. Next to it is Notre-Dame de Chine. It was dedicated in 2005.
Cross the street to number 34. Here you find the Fung Shun restaurant. It used to be a bakery. The interior was designed by Benoist et Fils and Albert Raybaud. The storefront and interior are listed as a monument historique.
At number 81 Avenue de Choisy is the Lycée Gabriel Fauré. This was once the Chocolaterie Lombart. It was the largest factory in Paris employing 500 workers.
Continue to number 97. Here is Kawa le temple de la vaisselle asiatique. This is a temple of Asian dishes. Many Parisian Chinese restaurants get their tableware here.
Let us finish at the Parc de Choisy. Édouard Crevel designed it in 1937. It was built on the site of a gasworks.
Until the mid-19th century Rue de Choisy was rural. In 1860 it became part of Paris. Industrialization began. Factories like Panhard Levassor and Lombart opened.
In the 1970s refugees from Southeast Asia arrived. They settled in the 13th arrondissement around Rue de Choisy. They brought vitality to the neighborhood.
So as we stand here on Rue de Choisy listen to the sounds. These sounds tell a story. It is a story of Roman roads royal chateaus and automobile factories. It is a story of industrialization immigration and cultural diversity. It is a story of Paris.