Chinatown facts for kids
A Chinatown is a special neighborhood found in many cities around the world, but outside of China. It's a place where many Chinese immigrants (people who move from one country to live in another) chose to live close together.
You can find famous Chinatowns in cities like San Francisco, New York City, and Kuala Lumpur.
Why Chinatowns Started
Chinatowns began to appear in cities all over the world after a big event called the Opium War. This war happened between China and the British Empire. China lost this war, which made many Chinese people very poor.
Many of these people lived in a part of China called Guangdong province. This area was heavily affected by the war. Because life was so hard, many people from Guangdong decided to leave China to find work and a better life.
They traveled to different countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the United States. When these Chinese people arrived in new cities, they often settled near each other. This helped them feel more at home and support each other. These areas then became known as Chinatowns.
Languages and Writing in Chinatowns
Most of the early Chinese immigrants came from two provinces in southeastern China: Guangdong and Fujian. Because of this, the languages spoken in many Chinatowns are often those from these regions.
Common languages you might hear include Toishanese, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew, and Hokkien.
Also, most Chinatowns were created before the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China. Because of this, you will often see traditional Chinese characters used in signs and writings there. However, in some Chinatowns, like those in Malaysia, you might see both traditional and simplified characters.
Images for kids
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Binondo, Manila, home to the world's oldest Chinatown.
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Headquarters of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in Chinatown, San Francisco.
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Sign inside Jefferson Station in Philadelphia pointing to "Chinatown"
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Street sign in Chinatown, Newcastle, with 唐人街 below the street name.
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Street scene of the Chinatown in Cyrildene, Johannesburg
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Celebrating Chinese New Year in Fuzhou Town, Brooklyn
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Hoian Settlement Pattern, Vietnam, 1991.
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Pengchau Settlement Pattern, Hong Kong, 1991.
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Chinese Settlement in Georgetown, Malaysia, 1991.
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Chinese Settlement in Kuching, Malaysia, 1991.
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Tin Hau (Goddess of Sea) Temple in Kuching, Malaysia, 1991.
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To Di Gong (Land God) Temple at Kuching, 1991.
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Liverpool's Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in Europe
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Chinese Temple in Yokohama Chinatown, Japan.
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Barrio Chino, Lima
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Davao Chinatown, located in Davao City, Philippines, is one of the biggest in Southeast Asia, with its own sea port
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Chinese new year celebration in Lyon, France.
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See also
In Spanish: Barrio chino para niños
