London Weekend Break

London's Chinatown

London has a significant Chinese district that can be found in the area around Gerrard Street and Lisle Street just to the west of Charing Cross. If you are taking a short weekend break in London and you want to sample genuine Chinese cuisine, then this zone is definitely worth a visit. It will also appeal to anyone who wants to sample an alternative ethnicity in the heart of London.

Brief history

Originally the Chinatown area developed in the nineteenth century when there was the first large influx of Chinese immigrants to Britain. These immigrants liked the area because it offered low rentals and gave the Chinese an opportunity to live in their own small community.

At that time the main population was found in the east end docks, but today the residential aspect of Chinatown has largely disappeared as the Chinese have integrated into British society in greater London and beyond.(More below.)

What to see in Chinatown

Although most of London’s Chinese population now live out in the suburbs, Chinatown has retained its ethnic feel when it comes to business.

This district is the best place to find Chinese groceries, tableware and cooking implements. It has many shops and retailers selling specialist (and some tourist related) products that can be hard to find in other parts of London. You will also find Chinese book shops, banks and herb stores and in many cases prices and product descriptions are written in Cantonese as well as English.

London’s Chinatown is probably the best place in London to eat Chinese food. There are restaurants specialising in many different regional variations of Cantonese and Tai cuisine and most of the menus are totally authentic, i.e. they offer the kind of selection that appeals to the Chinese rather than a variant intended for the European pallet.

Other things to spot include the oriental gates at the entrance to the Chinatown district. These are similar to those found in several of Britain’s other large cities like Manchester and they are ornamental and colourful in appearance.

The Chinatown area is also the best place in the UK to witness the Chinese New Year celebrations which are at the heart of Chinese culture and tradition.

The exact date of the Chinese New Year varies from year to year and each one has an animal associated with it. 2011 will be on February 3rd, 2012 on January 23rd and 2013 on February 10th.