Chinatown is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China,most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world,including Europe,Asia,Africa,Oceania,and the Americas.
The Chinatown–International District of Seattle,Washington is the center of the city's Asian American community. Within the district are the three neighborhoods known as Chinatown,Japantown and Little Saigon,named for the concentration of businesses owned by people of Chinese,Japanese and Vietnamese descent,respectively. The geographic area also once included Manilatown.
Chinatown is a community in Southwest Houston,Texas,United States.
Haymarket is an inner city suburb of Sydney,New South Wales,Australia. It is located at the southern end of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney. Haymarket includes much of Sydney's Chinatown,Thaitown and Railway Square localities. Haymarket is adjacent to Darling Harbour and is surrounded by the suburbs of Ultimo,Chippendale,Surry Hills and the Sydney CBD.
Chinatowns in Asia are widespread with large concentrations of overseas Chinese in East Asia and Southeast Asia,and ethnic Chinese whose ancestors came from southern China —particularly the provinces of Guangdong,Fujian,and Hainan —and settled in countries such as Brunei,Cambodia,East Timor,Indonesia,India,Laos,Malaysia,Myanmar,the Philippines,Singapore,Sri Lanka,Thailand,Vietnam,Japan and Korea centuries ago —starting as early as the Tang dynasty,but mostly notably in the 17th–19th centuries,and well into the 20th century. Today the Chinese diaspora in Asia is primarily concentrated in Southeast Asia;however,the legacy of the once widespread overseas Chinese communities in Asia is evident in the many Chinatowns found across East,South and Southeast Asia.
Urban Chinatowns exist in several major European cities. There is a Chinatown in London,England,as well as major Chinatowns in Manchester,Birmingham,Newcastle and Liverpool. In Paris there are two Chinatowns:one where many Vietnamese –specifically ethnic Chinese refugees from Vietnam –have settled in the Quartier chinois in the 13th arrondissement of Paris which is Europe's largest Chinatown,and the other in Belleville in the northeast of Paris. Berlin,Germany has two Chinatowns,one in the East and one in the West. Antwerp,Belgium also has an upstart Chinese community.
This article discusses Chinatowns in Oceania.
In non-Asian countries,an Asian supermarket largely describes a category of grocery stores that focuses and stocks items and products imported from countries located in the Far East.
The Chinatown neighborhood in Oakland,California,is traditionally Chinese which reflects Oakland's diverse Chinese American,and more broadly Asian American community. It is frequently referred to as "Oakland Chinatown" in order to distinguish it from nearby San Francisco's Chinatown. It lies at an elevation of 39 feet.
Philadelphia Chinatown is a predominantly Asian American neighborhood in Center City,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation supports the area. The neighborhood stretches from Vine Street on the north,Arch Street on the south;North Franklin Street and N. 7th Street on the east;to North Broad Street on the west.
Chinatown,Boston is a neighborhood located in downtown Boston,Massachusetts. It is the only surviving historic ethnic Chinese enclave in New England since the demise of the Chinatowns in Providence,Rhode Island and Portland,Maine after the 1950s. Because of the high population of Asians and Asian Americans living in this area of Boston,there is an abundance of Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants located in Chinatown. It is one of the most densely populated residential areas in Boston and serves as the largest center of its East Asian and Southeast Asian cultural life.
Chinatown in Adelaide,South Australia,Australia,also called Adelaide Chinatown or Moonta Street Chinatown,is located on Moonta Street,within the large Adelaide Central Markets precinct between Grote and Gouger streets in the Adelaide city centre. Two large Paifang,which were erected by the city council,are guarded by the Chinese guardian lions. They mark the entrances at either end. Adelaide Chinatown consists mainly of Chinese restaurants,grocery stores and markets but also consists of many non-Chinese Asian restaurants offering cuisines of Indian,Japanese,Korean,Malaysian,Nepali,Thai and Vietnamese origins.
Nankin-machi is a neighborhood in Kobe,Japan located south of Motomachi station adjacent to the Daimaru Department Store and is a major tourist attraction. Considered as Kobe's Chinatown,the area has over a hundred Chinese restaurants,shops,and a Chinese temple dedicated to Lord Guan.
Chinatowns in Australia is a term used to describe major Chinese ethnic enclaves in Australia,especially those that claim to retain a strong Chinese cultural identity and a strong relationship with China. Chinatowns exist in most Australian states and territories,especially in the highly-populous and cosmopolitan capital cities but also in rural areas. Many large present-day Chinatowns in Australia have developed out of smaller historical Chinese settlements in Australia dating back to the 19th century. Chinese people first immigrated to Australia in large waves in the midst of the Australian gold rushes. Many of these people subsequently chose to return to China or were forcefully deported from Australia. The first known Chinese Australian was John Shying,who immigrated to Australia in 1818.
Chinatown,Brisbane is a precinct in Fortitude Valley,Brisbane,Australia. It is centred on Chinatown Mall,a pedestrian street which occupies all of Duncan Street. The Mall runs parallel to Brunswick Street Mall,and connects Wickham Street and Ann Street. The precinct is the location of Chinese restaurants and shops,and is the venue for events including Chinese New Year and Valley Fiesta. Street signs in the area are written in both English and Chinese. It is also home to many restaurants offering Chinese,Korean,Indonesian,Japanese,Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. Its pan-Asian nature is also emphasized through the hosting of many Asian festivals including the annual Indian festival,Diwali.
West Argyle Street Historic District is a historic district in northern Uptown,Chicago,Illinois. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 3,2010. The community covers an area of about 41 acres (0.17 km2);its rough boundaries are N. Glenwood Ave to the west,Winona Street to the north,Sheridan Road to the east,and Ainslie Street to the south.
The Asian Pacific Thematic Historic District (APTHD),San Diego's historic Chinatown,is an eight-block district adjacent to and in part overlapping with the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District. The APTHD is bounded by Market Street on the north,2nd Ave. on the west,6th Ave. on the east and J St. on the south. 22 structures are considered historically contributing.
Chinatowns are enclaves of Chinese people outside of China. The first Chinatown in the United States was San Francisco's Chinatown in 1848,and many other Chinatowns were established in the 19th century by the Chinese diaspora on the West Coast. By 1875,Chinatowns had emerged in eastern cities such as New York City,Boston,and Philadelphia. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred Chinese immigration to the United States,but the Magnuson Act of 1943 repealed it,and the population of Chinatowns began to rise again.
Gold Coast Chinatown is a precinct in the Gold Coast's suburb of Southport,Queensland,Australia It is centered on Davenport and Young Streets but also includes the connecting laneways Regent and Davison Lanes and parts of Nerang,Garden and Scarborough Streets. The precinct is the location of Chinese restaurants and shops,and is the venue for events including Chinese New Year. It is also home to many restaurants offering Chinese,Korean,Indonesian,Japanese,Thai and Vietnamese cuisines.
