(Photo: Ohmega1982 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
A large number of Chinese immigrants left their homes in search of a better life and settled in cities all over the world, some hundreds of years ago. These settlements have grown and become a valued part of many cities. Today you would not expect to find a Chinatown in Africa or Cuba, but some of the best Chinatowns are found where you would least expect it. Each of these Chinatowns have 3 things in common, they all celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year, good Chinese restaurants and bargain shopping.
I found this post on CNNgo.com really informative because it describes the best of these Chinese settlements around the globe. According to the post the best Chinatowns can be found in Havana Cuba; Kolkata, India; Bangkok Thailand, Manila, Philippines; Johannesburg South Africa; San Francisco in The United States; Melbourne, Australia and Vancouver in Canada.
The post goes on to state about the Havana Chinatown:
Barrio Chino, where more than 50 years of China-Cuba ties are celebrated.
Hola amigo, nihao ma? Welcome to Barrio Chino, where the locals embrace their unique Spanish and Chinese heritage.
Havana’s was once Latin America’s largest Chinatown.
It was started by coolies brought in from Guangdong in the 1840s to work on the sugar plantations. A few decades later, 5,000 Los Californianos arrived from the United States. Finally, in the early 20th century, a third wave of migrants came fleeing social upheaval in China.
At its height, the Chinese population in Havana numbered some 50,000, with the laundries, small factories and restaurants you can find in Chinatowns worldwide.
The end came with Cuba’s 1959 revolution, the collapse of private enterprise and emigration — much of it back to the United States.
With only some 150 native Cuban-Chinese left, the Chinese government has helped pay to spruce up Havana’s Chinatown, including building a huge new archway.
Source: http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/escape/worlds-best-chinatowns-324704
The post goes on to describe the Chinese of India who came to India in the early 19th century from the South of China, running from war and famine. The post also highlights the large Indian Chinese population in Canada, whose traditions are a mixture of traditional Chinese with Indian food, culture and beliefs. If festivals are what you’re after, Johannesburg in South Africa hosts the best Lunar New Year dragon dance which is apparently a spectacle to see, with a variety of Chinese cuisine available from Shanghainese to Sichuan.
If you don’t wish to travel that far from home, the oldest Chinatown in Oz can be found in Melbourne where the best Chinese food can be found. The Chinese arrived in Melbourne in 1851 and Chinatown has since grown into a thriving and bustling Victorian attraction. For a cultural experience in the middle of Melbourne, attend the Asian Food Festival which is held around August/September.
The post also goes on to talk about the rich but young history of the London based Chinatown which can be found between the Solo, Leichester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden:
Throughout the 1960s, thousands more Chinese arrived from Hong Kong, many opening restaurants in and around Gerrard Street, attracted by the cheap rents and short leases on offer in the salubrious area (famously, Ronnie Scott set up his first jazz club in the basement of number 39).
Today, London Chinatown is located in the busy center of London, between Soho, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden, with tourists flocking to the area for its Chinese restaurants, teahouses, supermarkets and traditional Chinese doctors.
From being an insular, temporary community — the old saying used to be “earn enough then head home” — London’s Chinatown is now a proud part of the British capital, attracting 300,000 people for the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Source: http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/escape/worlds-best-chinatowns-324704