Chinatown

No need to draw you a picture to explain that on your left is the entrance to Chinatown. There are many Chinatowns all over the world, filled with Chinese communities. Liverpool’s Chinatown is the oldest in the UK and certainly the oldest Chinese community in Europe. The first Asians arrived in Liverpool in 1834, when a ship from the Orient landed to sell silks. At the end of the 1860s, a large number of Chinese sailors arrived to find work with the great shipping company, The Blue Funnel Line. Later, it was the town’s port location that encouraged maritime trade. Shipping routes to Shanghai and Hong Kong were used to import cotton, silk and tea. It was this prosperous trading activity that gradually brought large numbers of Chinese to Liverpool. With the outbreak of World War II, some of the Chinese population returned home. Today, the Chinese community represents 2.5% of Liverpool’s population. The district isn’t very big, so don’t expect to see the hustle and bustle of New York’s Chinatown. However, the magnificent arch in front of you is the largest outside China, and is well worth a look.