Liverpool’s Chinatown Transformation: A Story of Struggle and Regeneration
There are countless things for people in Liverpool to be proud of, with Scousers never backwards in coming forwards in terms of what the city has achieved over the years.
One of the things that will often get mentioned is Chinatown, which dates back to 1834 when vessels from China began to arrive in the city with Chinese workers bringing the likes of cotton wool and silk.
It means that Liverpool boasts the oldest Chinese community in Europe, as well as one of the largest, which originated at the docks before moving to its present location after bombing during the Second World War.
Chinatown’s Beginnings
Alfred Holt and Company was responsible for employing a large number of Chinese seamen to work on their ships of the Blue Funnel Shipping Line, which was a commercial line that ensured strong trade links between Liverpool and both Shanghai and Hong Kong.
That was in the 1860s, but by the 1890s a large number of businesses began to be set up in order to cater to the Chinese workers. Many of them married working-class women in the city, which saw numerous British-born Eurasian Chinese people being born here.
@thescouseghettogourmet 188th Food Review is at North Garden, Chinatown In Liverpool. There are two names in Chinatown whose name people always recommended to me. I’m here to see which one is the best! North Garden are famous for the 3 roasted meat dish. So that’s for me tonight! #chinesefood #duck #squid #liverpoolFoodie #fypシ #foryou #foryoupage ♬ original sound – The Scouse Ghetto Gourmet
As many as 20,000 Chinese mariners were in the city by the start of the Second World War, deciding to strike in order to get equal pay to white mariners in 1942, that saw them labelled as ‘troublemakers’.
When the war was over, they were blocked from having shore jobs and their pay was cut, meaning that they had to abandon their families and return to China, but many of their children continued to live and work in Chinatown from that point onwards. This continued even after it moved from the docks to its present location.
The Regeneration of Chinatown
In 2000, a Chinese Arch was built in Liverpool as a mark of the redevelopment of the area. In the October of 2010, the first plans to redevelop a large portion of Chinatown were unveiled, with more being released two years later.
Part of these plans included the creation of ‘China Square’, which was to feature a Chinese Cultural Museum. Another project was labelled ‘Shanghai Square’, based in the southern fringes of the area. That included a 250,000 square foot trade centre, with room for as many as 100 businesses.
Pitt Street, Chinatown, Liverpool, 1942 by Bert Hardy. Photographed Chinese seamen for Picture Post, unpublished because too sensitive. They were on half pay of British seamen, lived in squalor, went on strike and were labelled troublemakers.
— Brian Groom (@groomb.bsky.social) Feb 14, 2025 at 8:34
It goes without saying that the Chinatown district has spread significantly since it was first established, moving up as far as Berry Street. Many of the roads are decorated with Chinese-style lanterns, whilst the waste bins and street signs are written in both Chinese and English.
The area went through years of decline, peaking in the 1960s and 1970s but struggling at times ever since. That is thanks to the fact that there have been numerous regeneration attempts that have hit stumbling blocks at one point or another.
Latest Developments: Where Things are Up to Now
Having seen numerous businesses close over the past 20 years or so, Chinatown residents are now feeling as though there is a fresh glimmer of hope available for them to look to.
A new Merseyrail station on the corner of Parliament Street and St. James’ Place will hopefully open in 2027, bringing more footfall not just to Chinatown, but also to Ropewalks and the Baltic Market, which many think should join together to offer three distinct areas in one. Consultations over the revamp opened last March, with the aim being to see ‘something really special’ happen.
There has also been interest in the regeneration project shown by major companies in China, with Liverpool Council buying land on Great George Street that will be transformed thanks to the creation of housing, retail and leisure offerings. The 4.55-acre plot is being labelled as ‘New Chinatown’, in spite of the fact that it still lies within the historic Chinatown area.
Funding has been allocated towards the changes that are going to be made to the area and the hope of some is that Liverpool can be a launchpad for Chinese businesses operating in the United Kingdom.
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Redevelopment plans have been put in place with both the University of Liverpool’s Architecture School and local communities working together to ensure that it can be as impressive as people want it to be. The long-term hope is that more visitors will go to the area, as well as outside investment looking to spend money in Liverpool.
Ming Wang, the Merseyside Chinese Association Joint Action Group’s Secretary General, said, “Chinatown has been home to the local community for more than 200 years. It holds a very special place in our local community’s heart. We look forward to witnessing the transformation of our beloved Chinatown.”
