Embrace the Amazing Chinese Culture in Chinatown London
London is a very diverse city. It’s home to people from so many different cultures who have settled in different enclaves across London. Each place has something valuable and exciting to offer. For instance, there’s ‘Little India’ in Southall, which is home to one of the largest Indian populations in the UK. Here, you’ll find loads of Indian restaurants, jewellery, and clothes stores. There’s a large Arab population in Central London in parts such as Edgware Road and Knightsbridge, London’s ‘Little Arabia’ where you can see all the flashy cars. And Chinatown London cannot be forgotten too, which is home to loads of Chinese restaurants and other businesses.
The Chinese Food Lover’s Experience
Chinatown is one of the main tourist attractions in the West End. Made up of pedestrianised streets, you will find loads of Chinese restaurants and small businesses here, with waiters outside to draw you in and try their authentic Chinese food. In some of the restaurant windows, I could see roast ducks and pigs displayed in the windows to further entice you. But despite all this, I haven’t been to any of the restaurants yet sadly. To anyone who has, please leave a comment below or get in contact to submit a guest post as I’d love to hear about your experiences.
However, if you don’t feel like eating, then you could get a haircut or visit the HSBC branch instead. Even if you don’t do any of these things, I still strongly recommend coming here to walk through the streets and see all the incredible decorations.
See Chinatown London’s beautiful decorations
The bustling streets are characterised by the hanging red lanterns, so it really did feel like I was walking through the streets of China. The Chinatown Gate, which was built in 2016 on Wardour Street added to this atmosphere. And this Gate is a remarkable structure. It’s intricate designs and art have been done in accordance with Qing Dynasty designs. As it was so busy here, I found it quite difficult to take photos as the crowds often blocked the gate. Ideally, you should get as close as you can to the Gate or try and come at a less busy time if you want to take photos.
One of my favourite times to visit is at night, because it simply looks incredible when it’s dark. Shining red lanterns light the streets from above. The buildings give off warm light, and their signs illuminate too to add to this scene. One of the gate’s roof on Moor Street glows purple too, making it look just as beautiful at night as it does during the day.
A rubbish problem in Chinatown?
As well as being extremely crowded at times, some of the street corners were quite dirty. The large rubbish bins and bags of rubbish on some of the streets were not appealing sights at all. And even amongst all the decorations, these sights could not be avoided. Unfortunately, this is a common sight in most places- often rubbish is dumped behind restaurants, and in alleyways too.
But, don’t let this deter you though from coming to Chinatown though… There are now disposal companies who now have initiatives to clear rubbish from the W1 area, such as this one. So hopefully, this rubbish problem will become less of an issue…
The location of London’s Chinatown
The Chinatown in London is one of several in the UK, which you can find in major cities including Birmingham and Manchester. So far, I’ve only been to the ones in London and Birmingham, but this review will be focusing on the one in London. But nevertheless, I’ve thrown in a few pictures of Birmingham’s Chinatown below to compare.
Chinatown London is conveniently located near the Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square Tube stations, which are served by the Bakerloo, Northern, and Piccadilly Lines. There are also several buses you can get on too. Usually, it is a good idea to walk here so you can visit other places in the area too. But Chinatown wasn’t always located on Shaftesbury Avenue…
History of London’s Chinatown
When Chinese sailors began immigrating to London in the 18th Century, many of them settled in Limehouse in the East End. Then in the early 1900’s, the first Chinatown was established. But it had large numbers of opium dens and slum houses, making it extremely notorious, unlike today. After WW2, Chinese cuisine became very popular amongst British soldiers returning from the Far East which caused business to boom. At the same time, more people from Hong Kong began immigrating here too.
Finally, in the 1970s, Chinatown was moved from Limehouse to Shaftesbury Avenue in the West End. By this point, it had become the heart of the Chinese community in London, who came to set up their restaurants and businesses here. Long gone were the notorious opium dens that were in Limehouse…
Verdict
Overall, if you plan on coming to Soho, make sure you stop by and visit Chinatown. It is a great way to embrace the Chinese culture, as it feels like you’re walking through the streets of China. One of the best times to come here are at night, as this is when all the decorations light up.
To find out more about Chinatown:
Directions to Chinatown: