From “California Chinese Heritage: A Legacy of Places”:
China Gardens was the campsite of Chinese who worked on the Edison Company’s Kern River Canyon Project from 1902-1907. The name came from the vegetable gardens in the area, grown by the Chinese that provided produce for the work crews.
Once China Garden fell under Forest Service management, the area was a dispersed campground for a number of years, before issues caused its closure. It is now open for day use. The road you see leading into the area is closed and gated at the top of the hill due to limited access for emergency vehicles.
There are “hot” springs located in the area, however, their low flow rate and lukewarm temperatures meant they were never developed into anything.
