EVENTS
British Chinese Community
More about our history...
Britain first established its contact with China through the trade of tea and spices. However, a larger community of Chinese immigrants arrived during the Napoleonic wars to replace the British sailors who had been called up to the navy. This is why Liverpool, a major port for international trade, has the oldest Chinatown in Europe. The earliest group of Chinese immigrants, mostly sailors, then setttled in Liverpool. When the war ended, many stayed and worked in cleaning, laundry, grocery, and catering.
Want to know more?
For those who are eager to learn more about the community, visit a curated list of books, websites, exhibitions, and films below.
RADIO
Chinese in Britain (2007). BBC Radio 4. Access here
Beyond the Takeway (2003). BBC Radio 4. Access here
BOOKS & ARTICLES
Departure and Return. Denis Wong.
Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter. Angela Hui.
The Chinese in Britain, 1800-Present, Economy, Transnationalism, Identity. Gregor Benton, Edmund Terence Gomez.
The secret deportations of Chinese seamen. Guardian article. Access here
EXHIBITIONS
China’s hidden century. The British Museum. Access here
Chinese and British. The British Library. Access here
Chinese Laundries in the West End. The West End Museum. Access here
FILMS
Chinese Britain on Film. BFI Collection. Access here
推手 Pushing Hands (1991). 李安 Ang Lee
喜宴 The Wedding Banquet (1993). 李安 Ang Lee