Students Promenade, pedestrian zone, previously a street

Students Promenade is the official name of 9th Street south of central San José, a pedestrian boulevard running from the Iglesia de La Soledad to the Liceo de Costa Rica. Its central axis is a stamped concrete walkway in red and yellow, colours symbolising good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. The route crosses several avenues open to vehicles and ends at a human-sized statue of Confucius on a small pedestal at 14th Avenue.

The street was named after students who gathered in 1919 to protest against dictatorship, marking an important moment of resistance. A monument by artist Edgar Zúñiga erected in 2016 commemorates this legacy and the role of young people in defending their rights.

The name Paseo de los Estudiantes honors high schoolers from Liceo de Costa Rica, Colegio Superior de Señoritas and Colegio Seminario who made the small square facing La Soledad church the center of their protests against the Tinoco dictatorship. Since 2012 the same street has also been the Barrio Chino, opened on 5 December 2012, and both names are used interchangeably.

Calle 9 is pedestrian-only, but several cross avenues remain open to vehicles, so watch for traffic at each crossing. The walk runs about 550 metres over twelve blocks, from Avenida 2 to Avenida 18, starting at the Iglesia de La Soledad and ending at the Liceo de Costa Rica. The Confucius statue marks the boulevard's end at Avenida 14.

The area was expanded in 2012 with a Chinatown district, the first of its kind in Central America, featuring shops, restaurants, and a large decorative arch. This unexpected cultural addition merges the street's protest history with contemporary economic and cultural development.