China Camp was once the center of a thriving Chinese fishing village. Starting in the 1860s emigrants from the Kwantung province in China lived with their families and fished here. It is the only surviving fishing village among many in the Bay Area. The villagers sailed in junks, long wooden boats of a Chinese design, to catch shrimp with handmade nets. The shrimp were brought to shore, cooked, dried on a platform or nearby hillside, and then shipped to Asia and other foreign markets. The village grew until the 1880s, when at least 28 structures stood here. Heavy pressure from competitors and state officials caused Chinese shrimping activities to decline. A few families continued, using more modern fishing methods. Occasional shrimp fishing still takes place at China Camp today.