London’s Chinatown bouncing back despite Covid-19 pandemic
- Visitors have started returning to the famed cultural district, which was hit hard by earlier virus lockdowns and a pandemic-inspired xenophobic backlash
- Most newly arrived Hongkongers appear to be settling elsewhere, however, with those seeking work in Chinatown finding a ‘resistance towards hiring them’
A wetter than usual summer aside, foot traffic has steadily risen ahead of the anticipated return of Chinese students and foreign tourists once international travel becomes easier. For now, it’s Londoners of all ages and ethnic groups spending money in the area.
London’s Chinatown is largely a commercial area. Fewer residents meant its restaurants did not benefit as much from public demand for takeaway meals when dining-in was temporarily banned under the government’s coronavirus rules.
Fast forward 18 months, and with Britain’s vaccine roll-out well under way, newly erected outdoor seating areas were packed with diners on a recent Saturday evening, Nearby, banners from the latest Lunar New Year festival could still be seen wishing kung hei fat choi! (“may you prosper”).