Chinatown---Culture

Welcome to the Culture Bridge！ This is Leo... Lately one of my friend who’s studying in Canada send me some picture of a Chinatown in Toronto, which made me quite confused. Look, since there are so many immigrants in every country, why dose Chinatown exist only, but not the other one like Japan-town, Korea-town, these kind of thing? So, I’m very curious about Chinatown, and today, expecting to have a further talk on it. Well, before having a better understanding of Chinatown, why not just tell us your impression towards it? Brief Introduction A Chinatown in Mandarin pinyin: Tángrénjiē, while in Cantonese Jyutping: tong4 yan4 gaai1. It is an ethnic enclave of Chinese or Han people located outside mainland China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Asia, Australasia, the Americas, Africa and Europe. Chinatown is known for its long history, traditional Chinese culture, as well as the delicious Chinese food, especially the Cantonese one. （LEO） History Trading centres populated predominantly by Chinese men and their native spouses have long existed throughout Southeast Asia. Emigration to other parts of the world from China accelerated in the 1860s with the signing of the Treaty of Peking, which opened the border for free movement. Early emigrants came primarily from the coastal provinces of Canton (Guangdong) and Hokkien (Fujian) in southeastern China – where the people generally speak Cantonese, and Hokkien. As conditions in China have improved in recent decades, many Chinatown have lost their initial mission, which was to provide a transitional place into a new culture. As net migration slows, the smaller Chinatowns have slowly decayed, often to the point of becoming purely historical and no longer serving as ethnic enclaves.(SHARRY) Development The development of most Chinatowns typically resulted from mass migration to an area without any, or with very few Chinese residents. Binondo in Manila, established in 1594, is recognised as the world's oldest Chinatown. Notable early examples outside Asia include San Francisco's Chinatown in the United States and Melbourne's Chinatown in Australia, which were founded in the mid-19th century during the California gold rush and Victoria gold rush respectively. A more modern example, in Montville, Connecticut, was caused by the displacement of Chinese workers in New York's Chinatown in Manhattan following the September 11th attacks in 2001. (ZOE) Food Some restaurants in Chinatown do not cater towards non-Chinese customers. Because of ethnic Chinese immigration and the expanded palate of many contemporary cultures, the remaining American Chinese and Canadian Chinese cuisine restaurants are seen as anachronisms, but remain popular and profitable. In many Chinatowns, there are now many large, authentic Cantonese seafood restaurants, restaurants specializing in other varieties of Chinese cuisine such as Hakka cuisine, Szechuan cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, and small restaurants with delicatessen foods.(RITA) Cantonese seafood restaurants typically use a large dining room layout, have ornate designs, and specialize in seafood such as expensive Chinese-style lobsters, crabs, prawns, clams, and oysters, all kept live in fish tanks until preparation. Some seafood restaurants may also offer dim sum in the morning through the early afternoon hours, as waiters announce the names of dishes while pushing steaming carts of food and pastries around the restaurant. These restaurants are also a popular place for weddings, banquets, and other special events.(IRIS) Language and Annual events There are so many language used in Chinatown. Merely in Chinese, to pronounce the same Chinese characteristic, using Cantonese is quite normal, and you may also use Toisan, a second biggest language used in overseas Chinese society. Also, Mandarin, English, Spanish are accessible.(LEO) Many Chinatowns close off streets for parades, street festivals, Chinese acrobatics and martial arts demonstrations, and amusement rides, like Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Miss Chinatown Beauty Pageant at the request of the promoters or organizers of major events. Smaller festivals may also be held in a parking lot, playground, local park, or school grounds within Chinatown.(IRIS) It’s obviously that Chinatowns are quite attractive, particularly, the food. Well, though we have so many infatuations to share with you guys, yet it’s the high time that it should be the end of today’s program. So, have a good day~ See you last week!!!