Destination Chinatown: 10 Chinatowns Far from China

Since the Gold Rush of the mid-19th century lifted San Francisco (California) onto the same lands once occupied by the Ohlone and Miwok Indians, the city has become one of the most beautiful in the United States. Among the multicultural universe that inhabits it today is the oldest Chinatown outside of China. The hub of activity begins at dawn, after crossing the Dragon Gate from Bush Street, very close to Grant Avenue. A visit to Portsmouth Square is a must, where tai chi and traditional board games take place in the area where the American flag was first raised. But the most interesting street is Stockton, as it strays from the typical tourist path and delves into the authentic life of the neighborhood.

www.sanfranciscochinatown.com

Two square kilometers of New York City encompass the most famous Chinatown in the Western Hemisphere, a massive ethnic enclave. Most of its settlers arrived after the repeal of the Exclusion Act in 1943, resulting in an immigration wave primarily from Hong Kong and Guangdong, transforming it into a city within a city in Lower Manhattan, with over 200,000 residents. Mott Street (the origin of the neighborhood) and Canal Street (subway entrance and artery separating it from Little Italy) absorb the vibrant colors of fruit stores, novelty shops, noodle shops, spices, and, above all, restaurants. Above these, the typical 19th-century buildings that housed the first generations of inhabitants rise, and amidst the bustle of cars and pedestrians, one can see the statue of Confucius, in front of the square of the same name.

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Nestled in the heart of the Canadian city of Vancouver, northwest we find the Millennium Gate, a gift from the People's Republic of China that welcomes visitors to the third-largest Chinatown in North America. Close to the entrance, between Pender and Keefer Streets, a path along Carrall Street leads to the gardens of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, the first classical Chinese garden established outside of China. Exiting this oasis, the Cultural Center Museum offers an opportunity to learn about the evolution of the Chinese community in Vancouver. Pender Street showcases a unique building that holds the record for being the world's narrowest office building: the Sam Kee Building, which measures just one and a half meters at its narrowest point.

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Visitors to the Chinatown in the capital of Peru must pass under three arches eight meters high and thirteen wide that mimic the construction of a pagoda, donated by Taiwan. Although this entrance was inaugurated in 1971, the neighborhood fell into decline until it regained the luster of its ancestral traditions 16 years later. While it is a city where ancient immigrants known as coolies settled after finishing their contracts on Peruvian plantations, Lima's Chinatown began in the 1950s, when most restaurants (chifas), which combine Peruvian and Cantonese cuisine, are grouped on its main street, Capón. The neighborhood boasts that the most legendary Chinese newspaper in America circulates through its streets and three temples rise within its territory, one of which still reads the Chinese oracle and serves as a martial arts school.

www.munlima.gob.pe

The arrival of the first Asian settlers in the city-state of Antwerp (Belgium), between 1920 and 1930, is closely linked to its River Scheldt, whose important port was the ultimate destination of sailors working on large ships. However, significant immigration began at the end of World War II, and by 1985, the first Chinese supermarket was established in Antwerp. Chinatown starts around Central Station, Wesenbekestraat Van, where from a statue of a fierce Chinese lion, many shops specializing in gastronomy, dental, medical consultations, and bakeries have opened. The area hosts two Buddhist temples and is home to numerous cultural associations that organize different events throughout the year, such as the Annual China Festival, which celebrates an outdoor representation of Chinese opera every fall.

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The towering Les Olympiades marks the starting point of Chinatown in Paris, which houses the largest Asian community in Europe. Since the late 1970s, Asian immigrants have occupied these buildings, and today they constitute the soul of the Chinese neighborhood in the City of Light, which is little known by tourist guides. It's located on the left bank of the Seine, in the 13th arrondissement, between Ivry, Choisy avenues, and Tolbiac Street, an old industrial area that now features a park and several pagodas that add to the cultural points of interest in Paris. Some of its unique attractions include the popular Tang Brothers' restaurant, a duck feast; the Buddhist temple of the Les Olympiades towers, whose stairs lead visitors into a sanctuary infused with incense and sweet music, and a park where tai chi and Chinese chess are part of the beautiful landscape.

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The direct maritime line connecting China and Liverpool was the main contribution to Asian immigration to the British city around 1870. Now, since 2000, the imperial arch has represented the iconic entrance to Nelson and Berry Streets, Liverpool's Chinatown, known to be the oldest in Europe. To find it, head towards the docks. There, with five roofs rising 15 meters high and 200 dragons decorating it, the gate that arrived from Shanghai opens to an oriental world where everything from parking meters to traffic signs to street lamps is adorned with careful Asian styling and bilingual texts. Its culture is highly integrated into the city and its events attract the rest of the inhabitants. The most popular is the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

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The first Chinese settlements in the city-state of Singapore were established in the southern area around 1830, in the bay area whose waters reached Telok Ayer Street, an area that was reclaimed in 1887 to enable land to take over the sea. Today, its influence reaches New Bridge Road, occupying the expanse of four districts. It is one of the most unique Chinatowns in the world, as it houses three mosques and a Hindu temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple, on South Bridge Road.

www.chinatown.sg

Although in the 18th century Chinese sailors from the East India Company began to establish Chinatown near the port area of the UK capital, it wasn't until 1970 that the territory south of Saffesbury Avenue became the Chinatown we know today. Adjacent to the leisure area of Soho, wandering through the streets of Gerrard and Lislie guarantees an exquisite Asian dining experience and a piece of ancient Chinese culture. During the summer, it's common to encounter acrobats or theater groups throughout its modest three blocks, while in winter, the show is centered around the Chinese New Year.

www.chinatownlondon.org

A charming garden and music flowing from its fountain mark the eastern entrance to Chinatown in Melbourne, Australia. The gold rush and its fever pushed Chinese immigration to this city around 1850. Its territory spans Lonsdale, Bourke, Little Bourke, and Russell Streets, where the Chinese cultural museum boasts being home to the largest dragon on the planet. It also hosts one of the most prestigious high-end Chinese restaurants in the world, Flower Drum. The neighborhood is designed for life to continue around the clock and today is one of the preferred attractions for tourists visiting the Garden City. Its location is unmistakable, centrally located very close to Parliament.

www.chinatownmelbourne.com.au