Havana, by far the leading cultural centre of the island, offers a wide variety of features that range from museums, palaces, public squares, avenues, churches, fortresses (including the largest fortified complex in the Americas dating from the 16th through 18th centuries), ballet and from art and musical festivals to exhibitions of technology. The restoration of Old Havana offered a number of new attractions, including a museum to house relics of the Cuban revolution. The government placed special emphasis on cultural activities, many of which are free or involve only a minimal charge.----------------------UNESCO Heritage site Old Havana, (La Habana Vieja in Spanish), contains the core of the original city of Havana, it is the richest colonial set of Latin America. Havana Vieja was founded by the Spanish in 1519 in the natural harbour of the Bay of Havana. It became a stopping point for the treasure laden Spanish Galleons on the crossing between the New World and the Old World. In the 17th century it was one of the main shipbuilding centres. The city was built in baroque and neoclassic style. Many buildings have fallen in ruin during the communist period in the later half of the 20th century, but a number are being restored. The narrow streets of old Havana contain many buildings, accounting for perhaps as many as one-third of the approximately 3,000 buildings found in Old Havana.---------------------Havana has an active Chinese community and a number of Chinese restaurants in its Chinatown (Barrio Chino) district located in Centro Habana. The heart of Havana's chinatown is on el Cuchillo de Zanja (or The Zanja Canal). The strip is a pedestrian-only street adorned with many red lanterns, dancing red paper dragons and other Chinese cultural designs, there is a great number of restaurants that serve a full spectrum of Chinese dishes. The Chinatown district has two paifang, a large one located on Calle Dragones, the materials were donated in the late 90s by the People's Republic of China , it has a well defined written welcoming sign in Chinese and Spanish. The smaller arch is located on Zanja strip. Almost a century ago, Havana was home to Latin America's biggest and most vibrant Chinatown, the product of heavy Chinese immigration. Havana's Chinatown incorporated into the city by the early part of the 20th century, the neighbourhood was booming with Chinese restaurants, laundries, banks, pharmacies, theatres and several Chinese-language newspapers, the neighbourhood comprised of 44 square blocks during its prime.--------------he Revolution may have curbed the debauched excesses of the famous 50s, but Havana's brand of rum-fuelled hedonism still lures mega stars and tourists to its vibrant clubs and bars. Vedado has the lion's share of clubs and musical venues, from the swanky to the seedy, while Miramar and Playa is the locale for titillating cabaret and raunchy discos. Some of the nightclubs, restaurants and cabarets found in Havana are world renowned, such as the Tropicana cabaret and nightclub, known as Paradise Under the Stars since it opened in 1939, it has become a shrine to tropical sexuality; 200 dancing queens and heavily choreographed routine is performed to tunes that run the gamut of Cuban musical genres. The Parisien it's another world renowned cabaret, with a show that lasts longer than Tropicana and is of an equivalent standard. Salón Rojo, is a Tropicana-style show with a disco opened until 4 a.m. The Club Turquino situated on the 25th floor of the Habana Libre Hotel, has as very sleek New York style bar, its roof opens giving amazing views from the 25th floor. Other clubs includes Habana Cafe, Macumba Habana, La Zorra y el Cuervo (the Fox and the Crow, jazz music), El Gato Tuerto (The One-Eyed Cat, for soul music) and Dos Gardenias (Two Gardenias, for Boleros).