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Monday 10am - 6pm Tuesday 10am - 6pm Wednesday 10am - 6pm Thursday 10am - 6pm Friday 10am - 6pm

London Chinatown Chinese Association

Nearby government services

Chinese Information and Advice Centre (CIAC)
Gerrard Place

In the 1880s the Limehouse area of East London had developed into a small Chinese community, the earliest “Chinatown” with the Chinese focusing on the laundry business. During the German air raids of World War II, the London Docklands were inevitably damaged due to their proximity to a sea fortress. As a result, some Chinese moved to Liverpool (the earliest Chinatown in Britain is located in Liver

pool), while others returned to China. London Chinatown as we know it today only began to take shape in the 1950s. By 1950 there were approximately 2,000 Chinese in Britain and with the return of the British soldiers from the Far East, the market grew for Chinese cuisine creating favourable conditions for a Chinese restaurant industry to take hold. London Chinatown began as a few Chinese restaurants and grocery stores in Gerrard Street. In the very beginning, Gerrard Street and Lisle Street were filled with small shops and stalls owned by locals (non-Chinese). Attracted by the cheap rents and short leases in and around Gerrard Street, other Chinese trades began to prosper. By 1965, there were 20 Chinese restaurants and three stalls in Gerrard Street. Today, in 2010, London Chinatown is made up of Gerrard Street, Lisle Street, Wardour Street, Newport Place and Shaftesbury Avenue and is nestled in the busy centre of London between Soho, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden. There are over 220 businesses in London Chinatown of which approximately 180 are Chinese businesses ranging from restaurants, cafes, cake shops, bookshops, grocery stores, travel agents, banks and money transfer businesses, mobile phone shops, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, doctors, dentists, beauty salons, newsagents, solicitors and accountants. For those Chinese who moved to Britain in the early days, the old adage was always: “Earn enough then head home”. Therefore, they seldom cared about UK current affairs. When they faced personal problems they could not resolve, they rarely knew where to turn. There was a need for greater co-operation to facilitate the needs and wants of the community, in August 1978, the London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA) was founded. It forged stronger links with Westminster City Council, the Police and the community outside Soho. Originally, the LCCA served both the business and community of the Chinese living and working within Chinatown. However, in 1979 the LCCA established the Chinese Community Centre to deal with community issues. Today, the LCCA is a not for profit organisation. Its stated aims were and still are to enhance the area, improve the quality of life of the Chinatown community by responding to the needs of business and residents in London Chinatown as well as the many people who visit the area every year by working closely with partner organisations such as Westminster City Council, the Metropolitan Police, Prince’s Charities Foundation China and the Mayor of London as well as the Chinese Embassy. The LCCA organises events to promote London Chinatown and to attract more visitors to the area. Since the 1980s it has organized the annual Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown and since 2002, the event has been held in Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and London Chinatown. The event has grown from being a small community event to a major free public event that attracts Chinese people, Londoners and tourists to London. The event attracts over 300,000 people and has become an established London-wide event. It is a great advert for the Chinese community and Chinese culture. It also brings together the diverse Chinese population* in London and worldwide. Besides organising the annual Chinese New Year celebrations, the LCCA has also organised fund raising events for the Qinghai Earthquake (2010), Taiwanese Typhoon Appeal (2009) and the Sichuan Earthquake (2008). The LCCA is now raising funds to build a new Chinese gate on Wardour Street and to maintain Chinatown’s unique character. There are aspirations for a Chinese cultural centre in Chinatown itself subject to funding and securing a suitable property.

*the Chinese population in the UK – the original Overseas Chinese came from Hong Kong (New Territories) and Guangdong Province in (Southern) China. We now have British born Chinese, Hong Kong Chinese, Mainland Chinese, Malaysian Chinese, Taiwanese Chinese, Singaporean Chinese as well as people of mixed Chinese race. The current exact numbers of Chinese in the UK is difficult to quantify exactly but current estimates (circa 2006) are that there are over 400,000 Chinese in the UK of which 100,000 live in London.

Photos from London Chinatown Chinese Association's post

20/09/2024

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 🌝 Last weekend, London Chinatown Chinese Association were overjoyed to host the spectacular Moon Fest UK! The day's vibrant festivities featured Lion dances, cultural performances, fun games, and a warm atmosphere filled with happiness and laughter. ✨

The celebration attracted many important guests from China and the UK who spoke of how Mid-Autumn Festival is an important traditional festival in China and a wonderful chance for family and friends to spend quality time together. 💖

Take a look at these terrific photographs capturing the heartwarming cultural celebrations! Thank you to all who attended and made Moon Fest possible. 🙌🥮

30/08/2024

Planning a solo adventure? 😊 Secret London recommends a visit to our vibrant Chinatown as one of the top things to do alone in London. Check out what they had to say about our lively neighbourhood:

"The largest Chinatown in the entire UK offers lots of yummy food options, all the saucy dumplings and dim sum you could want and some Chinese supermarkets to inspire you at home, it’s brimming with foodie delights and is a fantastic thing to do solo in London." ✨

12/07/2024

Feast your way through London's Chinatown with our fantastic array of delicious dining options, there's something for everyone to love! 😋🍜🥟🥢❤️

24/05/2024

✨ such fond memories of the vibrant 2024 Lunar New Year procession in London back in February! 🐲

📸 by khedara on flickr

05/04/2024

Did you hear? Chinatown is officially home to one of the coolest streets in the world! 😎 Time Out London's annual ranking of the planet’s coolest roads included our very own Gerrard St! See what Time Out London said below...

"There are amazing restaurants showcasing hitherto-obscure regional cuisines in every corner of the tube map. But Chinatown in Soho, is special, both in terms of its historical significance and also its present-day, social media-powered renaissance." 🌟

Read here: https://buff.ly/3U3Kg1e

23/02/2024

🌟 Pure joy captured at this year's magical London Lunar New Year festivities on February 11th 2024! 💖 Happy everyone! 🐉

📸 Wonderful photographs courtesy of Richard Williams

12/02/2024

Yesterday’s Chinese New Year community celebrations in London were a vibrant and joyful spectacle, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors to Chinatown and Trafalgar Square, all ready to welcome the Year of the Dragon!

A colourful morning parade through Chinatown and the surrounding area featured dazzling hand-crafted floats and dancing lions and dragons, enchanting the crowds. There followed a diverse and diverting entertainment programme on the stage in Trafalgar Square, with a number of specially invited guests taking part in the traditional eye-dotting ceremony to start everything off. This symbolic gesture of painting the lions’ eyes with water is intended to wake them up before their first dance, and usher in a New Year of good luck and fortune! A full afternoon of wonderful performances followed, including traditional Chinese music, song and dance, Beijing opera, martial arts, and much more. As evening drew close, a magnificent finale with spectacular pyrotechnics wowed the crowds.

We were honoured to be joined in the day’s festivities by VIP guests Ambassador Zheng Zeguang, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Lord Mayor of Westminster Patricia McAllister, and many more. Their kind support of this annual community celebration of Chinese New Year is warmly received.

📸 Allan Hong / Calvin Luo / Zixuan Wang

02/02/2024

We are eagerly anticipating our upcoming London Chinese New Year festivities, and we hope you are too! Here are some details regarding our grand plans for the 11th of February. 🤩

The delightful day’s events will start at 10:15am, with the traditional parade commencing from Charing Cross Road, featuring handcrafted floats, which will later be displayed for visitors to admire on Shaftesbury Avenue, after the parade ends at noon. 🐉

The official opening ceremony, with the traditional custom of awakening the lions, will take place on the stage in Trafalgar Square at 12pm, followed by breathtaking lion dances performed by the Chans Brothers. 🦁 Throughout the day there will be further lion dance performances around Chinatown, between 12-5pm, ensuring all attendees have a chance to enjoy these exhilarating performances!

On the main stage in Trafalgar Square, the rich programme of cultural performances includes Beijing opera, martial arts, acrobatics, ancient magic, Chinese orchestra, dance and more. ✨

The day will be rounded off by a spectacular finale on the main stage. 🎆 Plus, to mark the Year of the Dragon, a magnificent giant dragon will be located on Dean Street in Chinatown and a Chinese dragon will be sharing Instagrammable moments in Leicester Square from 1-4pm. 💖

26/01/2024

London Chinatown Chinese Association are proud to announce that our annual Chinese New Year London celebrations shall take place on Saturday 10th - Sunday 11th of February 2024! 🐉

As we wave goodbye to the Year of the Rabbit and welcome the Year of the Dragon, join us in Chinatown for the vibrant parade, traditional customs, phenomenal performances, lion dancing, martial arts, musical talents, and more! Keep an eye on our social media channels where we will be announcing a full schedule soon. 🌟

The Year of the Dragon is considered one of the most powerful and auspicious years in the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing strength, fortune, and success. Our theme for the 2024 celebrations is "Roaring into Sustainable Prosperity and Empowering Youth.”

As we gear up for this exciting event, we invite you to take a look at some fantastic photographs of last year's festivities captured by Jon Mo and Jinbiao Guo. We can't wait to see you there! 🎉

25/12/2023

Wishing you a joyful Christmas! 🎅🎄 London Chinatown Chinese Association extends its warmest holiday wishes to all! 🌟❤️

27/11/2023

Discover cultural wonders and delicious delights in central London and immerse yourself in the kaleidoscope of colours, flavours, and traditions at our vibrant Chinatown! ✨💜

📸 via Geoff Livingston on Flickr https://flic.kr/p/2nn6n4U

27/10/2023

🌟 to our joyous Mid-Autumn celebration in London Chinatown, ! We were treated to a marvellous day of acrobatics, traditional Cantonese opera, lion dancers, and more! 🌝

📸 Xinhua via globaltimes.cn

29/09/2023

🌜 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 🥮

Find the most delicious mooncakes in London with 's handy guide!
https://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/the-best-mooncakes-in-london-to-celebrate-mid-autumn-festival 💖

15/09/2023

London Chinatown is not just a major landmark in our beloved capital city, but also a gateway to a world of culture, cuisine, and vibrant celebrations. Come on down to Chinatown today! 🤩💖

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