Overseas: London Chinatown witnessed British Chinese moving from the edge to the mainstream society (photos)

1October 29th, reported in liuxue86.com.

London Chinatown is not the largest and earliest in Europe, but it is known as "the most traditional China" and "the most lively Chinatown" in Europe.

There are many large and small Chinese restaurants, China supermarkets, barbershops, Chinese medicine shops and several Chinese archways around Juelu Street in central London, which is customarily called "Chinatown".

International Online Report (London correspondent Tu Yun): From/kloc-0 to the beginning of the 9th century, the first batch of China sailors set foot on the British Island as employees of the East India Company and took root here. In the past two centuries, the number of overseas Chinese living in Britain has grown from the initial dozens to more than 600,000 today. In this historical process, Chinatown, as a link between overseas Chinese, witnessed the process of Chinese moving from the edge to the mainstream in British society.

This is Juelu Street, which is located in the center of London. Chinese restaurants, China supermarkets, barbershops, Chinese medicine shops, China souvenir shops and several Chinese-style archways all stand on a street about one square kilometer, conveying a message to people-this is the place where China people are most concentrated, so it is customarily called "Chinatown".

Chinatown is not only a place where many China people living in London often eat and buy daily necessities, but also a unique landscape in London because of its distinctive oriental characteristics, attracting many foreign tourists to visit London. London Chinatown may not be the largest and earliest in Europe, but it is known as "the most traditional China" and "the most lively Chinatown" in Europe.

However, this Chinatown, which has a history of more than 70 years and has become a major landscape in London, has experienced some moderate crises in recent years. The latest one is related to British immigration policy.

Lawyer Li Zhenju (female), the founder of Li Zhenju Law Firm, the largest Chinese law firm in Britain, and the founder and chairman of the "British Chinese Participation Program", was deeply touched by this. "Before we started this' Chinese Participation Plan' in 2006, this immigration law had a great impact on us China people."

In 2005, Britain introduced the draft immigration, asylum and nationality laws, which tightened the immigration and asylum policies. Once implemented, it means that China workers, students and their families in Britain, and even the whole Chinese community will be greatly affected, and many Chinese restaurants and supermarkets in Chinatown will not be spared.

Li Zhenju said: "At that time, all the people in China were unaware of politics and did not want to participate. In Britain, they will consult blacks and Indians, but never China. It is not only their business, but also our responsibility that they don't ask for our opinions, because we have never participated in any of their politics for so many years-whether it is local or national, we have never participated. We have not answered any questions they asked us, so it is difficult to adopt our opinions. "