\u201cThis has been a dream of the community in that area for many years,\u201d said Saro, Long Beach\u2019s first Cambodian council member. Parade attendees were \u201cthrilled\u201d at their first look at the final design, the product of more than a year of back and forth with Cambodian community members to \u201cmake sure we get it right,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Richer San and his wife Sithea San have been driving forces behind the gateway project \u2014 and Cambodia Town\u2019s official recognition in 2007. The couple escaped the Khmer Rouge regime and came to the U.S., joining a wave of refugees who landed in Long Beach in the 1970s and 80s<\/a>. The city is now home to approximately 20,000 Cambodians<\/a>, the highest concentration of any city outside Cambodia.<\/p>\n The gateway has long been in the works. A decade ago, community members began raising money to develop designs with an architect, Richer San said.<\/p>\n He and other Cambodian community members presented an initial concept for the gateway to the city\u2019s Public Works Department, kicking off a collaborative back-and-forth that resulted in two proposals<\/a>, influenced by the Cambodian Apsara Crown and the Buddhist temple Angkor Wat.<\/p>\n Over 1,000 community members voted on the ideas, favoring the first<\/a>, and offering feedback that inspired the final rendering<\/a>, an elaborate structure decorated with golden filigree, including elements of both the crown and temple. Floral appliques will adorn the gate, including lotus and moon flowers, as well as rumduol, the national flower of Cambodia, Richer San said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just the design that is meaningful, but the investment in the neighborhood, said Sayon Syprasoeuth, associate program director of the local nonprofit United Cambodian Community. The official designation of Cambodia Town and the addition of the gateway are significant steps toward helping the community claim space, corrective action for an area that was redlined in the past, he said. The recognition of the city allows the people who live there \u201cto embrace and to grow in this space,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The push for that recognition and investment has been driven by grassroots advocacy in the Khmer community, Syprasoeuth said. \u201cIt\u2019s ongoing work, and it\u2019s marathon work.\u201d And it\u2019s not over yet.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for public works said that additional funding \u201cwill need to be confirmed\u201d in order to move the project to construction. Richer San has begun a campaign to raise as much as half a million dollars to close the gap, he said.<\/p>\n Saro hopes that the gateway will be an opportunity to increase foot traffic to local businesses. The city has allocated $12.6 million to an improvement project on Anaheim Street<\/a> as part of its Elevate 28 infrastructure plan, which will make the corridor safer and more pedestrian-friendly, Saro said. If all goes to plan, the grand entrance will be completed in time for the Olympics and will be a world attraction long after the Games, she said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cambodia-town-gateway-rendering-daytime-495312-rllfm58j-715816-LiW8sUGM.jpg\")
<\/a>A rendering of the Cambodia Town gateway planned to be built over Anaheim Street at Alamitos Avenue. Courtesy the city of Long Beach.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ap23319341944065-524773-ci6wu62w-961424-DuHYqj81-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>Cambodian Buddhist monks visit the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. It\u2019s believed Cambodia\u2019s main tourist destination, Angkor Wat, was built between the 9th and 15th centuries. AP Photo by Heng Sinith.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CAMBODIA-TOWN_9491-1110x698.jpg\")
<\/a>A sign marking the boundary of Long Beach\u2019s Cambodia Town at the intersection of Anaheim Street and Junipero Avenue. Photo by Brandon Richardson.<\/p>\n