When people imagine London, they tend to think of the London Eye, Big Ben, the Tower of Tower and Buckingham Palace. In the centre of the city, there’s also another, less well-known attraction, Chinatown. Imagine a bustling hub of East Asian culture in the middle of the world’s greatest city. Plenty of other Western cities around the world have a strong Chinese community. However, Chinatown in London feels like one of the best.
Centrally located, Chinatown is straightforward to get to. It is just a short walk from the major West End shopping streets. If you are looking for a spot for lunch, a place for dinner or just a change of atmosphere, then Chinatown is a great place to head to. If you want to stay out after dark and party the night away, then it also has a colourful nightlife with plenty of bars and clubs close by.
The History of Chinatown in London
The history of Chinatown in London goes back long before the restaurants and business community appeared in their current location. There was an original Chinatown that was in Limehouse in the East End of London. Large numbers of Chinese migrants first came here to look for work in the 18th century. By 1914, a large Chinese community had developed with restaurants and shops catering to sailors. A lot of the Chinese migrants would stay. They would eventually become British citizens and gradually move out of the East End.
The story of why we have Chinatown in the location we do today begins just after the Great Fire of London in 1666. In the desire to rebuild, the authorities decided to build out to the West of the city. Previously used as farmland and hunting ground, the area is today known as Soho. The owner of this land, Lord Gerrard, authorized the construction of housing. Gerrard Street, the epicentre of Chinatown in London, is named in his honour. Building work finished in 1685, and a market hall and slaughterhouse followed quickly after. This area is today known as Soho after a hunting cry used when the land was rural hunting ground.
Soho has always attracted immigrants, and French Huguenots began to arrive soon after in 1688. This was followed in the late 1800s by successive waves of Italian, Jewish, and Maltese immigrants. Soho still has a strong Italian presence today. During the post-war period, the Chinese community in the United Kingdom lacked income and decent accommodation. When they arrived in the area in the 1950s, Soho was famous for its low-cost commercial rents. As more people arrived, a small Chinese community began to form.
Luckily for them, British soldiers returning from the Far East had developed a taste for Chinese cuisine. This led to the opening of supermarkets and restaurants to cater to not only Chinese immigrants, but also the changing tastes of the English themselves. Their success encouraged even more Chinese to leave the East End of London and settle in Soho. By the 1960s, Chinatown was the heart of London’s Chinese community. Tens of thousands more Chinese workers continued to arrive in Britain, mostly from Hong Kong. The area around Gerrard Street, Lisle Street and Little Newport Street soon became the centre of Chinese culture in Britain.
In the 1980s, the area was remodelled and renovated. The community added the famous China Gate in Wardour Street, as well as other street furniture and dual-language signage. Today, Chinatown is a thriving centre of Chinese culture. It is a great place to visit whether you are a tourist or a local.
Where is Chinatown in London located?
Located in the West End, Chinatown in London is close to the famous attractions of Soho and Leicester Square. With its central location, it is easy to get to by public transport. There are several Underground stations as well as many bus lines only a short walk away.
How to get to Chinatown?
Address: Gerrard Street, London, W1D 5QD
Although there is no official boundary for Chinatown, other streets include Little Newport Street, Lisle Street, Macclesfield Street, Newport Court, Newport Place, Rupert Court, Rupert Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, and the Southern half of Wardour Street.
Bus: There are a lot of bus routes that stop near to Chinatown, including routes 14, 24, 27, 134, 168, and the C2. These routes don’t necessarily stop directly in Chinatown itself. Keep an eye out for where your bus is going or ask the driver where the nearest stop is.
Rail: The nearest mainline railway station is London Charing Cross which is about a 10 minutes’ walk from Chinatown. London Waterloo is also reasonably close, although it is on the other side of the River Thames. If your journey takes you into any other mainline station, then you will be able to reach Chinatown by taking either a bus or the Underground.
Road: We would not recommend attempting to drive into Chinatown. London is a crowded city. Parking is expensive, and there is the Congestion Charge to pay for any vehicle that enters the main tourist areas. There is plenty of decent public transport in London so Leave the car at home!
Underground: The nearest Underground station for Chinatown is Leicester Square, about a 1-minute walk away. When leaving the station, take exit number two, then turn left up Charing Cross Road and left again into Newport Street. You can also go to Piccadilly Circus, Charing Cross, Covent Garden or even Tottenham Court Road stations. Alternatively, you can also take a taxi or an Uber, but you will have to pay a higher fare.
What type of food can you find in Chinatown?
Our favourite thing about Chinatown in London has to be food. Despite England’s often poor reputation for food, London has an abundance of great restaurants. You can find cuisine from all over the world, from authentic street food to high-end Michelin starred restaurants. The great thing about Chinatown is not only the quality but also the choice. There is a considerable variety of Chinese cuisine with distinct regional and ethnic differences. The good news is that you can find almost all of this variety right here in London’s Chinatown.
Whether you want Cantonese, Sichuan, Dim Sum or Taiwanese cuisine, you will find plenty of options. Of course, despite the name, it is not only Chinese food that you can find in Chinatown. There are Japanese, Malaysian and Burmese as well as food from many other Asian countries. Before you ever consider deciding where to eat, first you’ll need to choose what to eat!
Chinese New Year
Of course, Chinatown is also the centre of the spectacular Chinese New Year celebrations. Visitors get to immerse themselves in the holiday atmosphere and witness lion dances, dragon dances, craft stalls, street parades, music and all the dazzling costumes. Chinese New Year always falls between late January and mid-February with London’s celebrations being the biggest outside Asia. As you’d expect, Chinatown is heaving during Chinese New Year!
This parade will begin on Charing Cross at 10 am. It will gradually work its way up to Cambridge Circus and then down Shaftesbury Avenue before finishing in Trafalgar Square. There are other events across the West End. This includes a cultural area that has a theatre, DJs, and traditional martial arts performances. There is also the main stage in Trafalgar Square. The streets are full of red lanterns that decorate the lights connecting the buildings on either side of the road. There are also murals painted with Chinese calligraphy outside almost every building.
Many restaurants display the symbols of luck and fortune such as gold coins, the three older men Fu, Lu and Shou, or a lucky cat, both to promote Chinese culture and attract more customers. Walking among the rows of lanterns, you may think you are at a New Year party in China. You have to remind yourself that you are standing in the middle of London. Expect the streets to be crowded and the celebrations lively. Chinese New Year is by far the busiest time of the year in Chinatown. You should plan ahead if you want to get the complete experience. Most of the local bars and restaurants will be extremely busy. We strongly recommend that you book as far ahead as possible to ensure you get a table.
MOON FEST the UK
You can witness traditional dragon dances during the Chinese New Year in Chinatown, but have you ever partied at MOON FEST UK? The event celebrates the traditional Chinese holiday known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. It brings all sorts of fun to the streets of Chinatown.
The main activities of the festival take place on the main stage located next at Gerrard Street’s China Gate. There is an opening ceremony with colourful dances, music and martial arts. Accompanying all this is tasty food and thirst-quenching drinks. Moon Cake, the typical Chinese dish for this holiday, along with delicious fruits and sweets. For East Asians, this represents fullness and happiness. This is a great event for the whole family. There are plenty of activities for children such as face painting, lantern making and Mid-Autumn Festival legend storytelling.
Some fact you may not know about Chinatown in London
- Chinatown’s iconic street furniture did not start appearing until the 1980s. During this time, the Chinese Gate, the pagoda and the stone lions were all added.
- The first Penny Post Office in Westminster was opened in Gerrard Street in 1794 and survived until 1834. There is a plaque on the wall of number thirty-nine that marks the site.
- Edmund Burke, the author, statesman, and founder of modern conservatism, lived at 37 Gerrard Street between 1787 and 1790. The original building is no longer with us, but there is a plaque commemorating where his home used to stand.
- The Poet Laureate John Dryden lived at number 43-44 Gerrard Street from about 1687 until he died in 1700. His grave is in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey. Once again, the original building no longer stands, but a plaque marks where is home would have been.
- The infamous 43 Club was at 43 Gerrard Street during the roaring twenties. It was famous for its decadent and outrageous parties. The club’s owner, Kate Meyrick, was jailed five times before the club was eventually closed.
- Samuel Johnson and Joshua Reynolds founded The Literary Club at the Turk’s Head Tavern, Gerrard Street, in 1764. There is a plaque at number nine marking the spot where the pub used to stand.
- Ronnie Scott, the famous jazz musician, opened his first club at 39 Gerrard Street in 1959. Today, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club is one of the most renowned music venues in the world. Today’s venue is a short walk away in Frith Street, Soho.
- Chinatown is home to over 150 Chinese businesses. It is made up, of course, by a large number of restaurants, but also bars, shops and traditional Chinese healers. There are other Chinese areas in cities across the UK, but this one is by far the largest.
Final thoughts
Chinatown in London offers a unique perspective on Chinese culture. We highly recommend that you try and wander through the area at least once when you are here. Of course, the experience will be even better if you immerse yourself in the sumptuous cuisine, fascinating culture, traditional festivals and lively entertainment!
More details about where to eat and what to do can be found at the official Chinatown London website.