JOHN DAY — If you find yourself in Grant County during spring break, plan a stop at Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site.

The national historic landmark, 125 NW Canton St., will be open for guided tours from Monday, March 27, to Friday, March 31.

The 45-minute tours are free to the public and begin at 9 a.m. A new tour starts at the top of each hour, except from noon to 1 p.m. The last tour will begin at 3 p.m. The visitor center and gift shop will also be open.

Tours are limited to groups of eight. Admission is free.

About the site

Kam Wah Chung was built in 1865 as a trading post. It became home to two Chinese immigrants — Ing “Doc” Hay and Lung On — in 1888. Lung On was a general store proprietor and businessman, and Doc Hay practiced herbal medicine. According to Oregon State Parks, “for over 60 years the building was a social, medical and religious center for Oregon’s Chinese community.”

According to a history compiled by the Friends of Kam Wah Chung, the Chinese population grew in Grant County after gold was discovered in Canyon City in 1862. In 1885, the Chinese population was about 2,000.

The general store closed after Lung On’s death in 1940. Doc Hay operated the apothecary until 1948, when he moved to Portland.

He died in 1952.

The building was locked after Doc Hay left and his nephew, Bob Wah, took ownership. Upon his death in 1966, Wah left it to the city of John Day with the intention it become a museum. The city turned it over to the John Day Historical Society in 1968.

After several years of renovations, it opened as a museum in 1976. Oregon State Parks took over management in the 1990s, and it became a National Historic Landmark in 2005.

Season

Kam Wah Chung’s regular season is May 1 to Oct. 31. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are advisable by calling 541-575-2800.