San Ignacio is a town in the west of the nation of Belize; it is the capital of Belize's Cayo District. San Ignacio is on the banks of the Macal River, a branch of the Belize River, about 72 miles (115 kilometres) west of Belize City and 22 miles (35 km) from Belmopan. The population is largely Maya Indian and Mestizo, with some Lebanese. San Ignacio also boasts a fairly large Chinese population, most of whom emigrated from Guangzhou in waves in the mid-20th century. As a result, the town is peppered with Chinese restaurants (there are at least four) and Chinese markets (at least five.)