Chinatowns

As the Olympic games get underway in Bejing, find out more about England's Chinatowns in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and London.  

Birmingham

The Chinese Quarter is an area which covers a neighbourhood that includes Hurst Street, Ladywell Walk and Pershore Street in Birmingham. The Quarter has a prominent landmark in the form of a seven storey granite pagoda surrounded by Chinese style gardens and sculpture. Today, with its many Chinese restaurants and supermarkets and fine examples of Chinese architecture, the Quarter is a colourful and vibrant community that exists in the heart of the city not far from New Street Station.

Find out more about Birmingham's Chinese Quarter

Liverpool

Liverpool is home to one of the oldest Chinese communities in Europe. The city’s Chinatown is centred on Nelson Street and Berry Street, and the arch located at the gateway is also the largest of its kind outside of China. Full of interesting detail, Liverpool’s Chinatown is currently undergoing something of a regeneration, but is still well worth a visit, particularly for the Chinese Sunday Market, which sells clothes, herbs, medicine, food and drink.

Find out more about Liverpool's Chinatown

London

The name Chinatown has been used at different times to describe different places in London. The city's present Chinatown is in the Soho area of the City of Westminster, occupying the area in and around Gerrard Street. It contains a number of Chinese restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets, souvenir shops, and other Chinese-run businesses. The area hosts a number of impressive and colourful events throughout the year such as the Dragon Boat Festival in June and The Hungry Ghost Festival in August.

Find out more about London's Chinatown

Manchester

Boasting the second largest Chinatown in the United Kingdom and the fourth largest in Europe, Manchester's Chinatown is located in east Manchester. The area is famous for having the largest archway in Europe, The Chinese Arch, which stands majestically over Faulkner Street. As Manchester's Chinese population has grown so has the number of Chinese restaurants and takeaways in the area; the area really comes to life on Sundays, the traditional day off for local businesses.

Find out more about Manchester's Chinatown