Looking Back to Look Forward: 40 Years of Chinatown in Central London
- Freya
- Oct 25, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 18
October 2025 marks 40 years since Westminster City Council officially designated London’s Chinatown — a vibrant neighbourhood that continues to evolve while holding deep cultural and historical significance.
Looking Back to Look Forward: 40 Years of Chinatown in Central London is a year-long festival (October 2025 – September 2026) that invites everyone to reflect on Chinatown’s layered past and imagine its future. Working with business communities, researchers, writers, community organisers, and those with strong connections to the area, we’ll explore key questions: Who has Chinatown been for — and who is it for now? How have Chinatown and London shaped one another over the decades? What did the COVID-19 pandemic reveal about the challenges facing the neighbourhood? And what might the future hold for Chinatown?
Led by Chinatown Collective CIC, in partnership with Kakilang and the HOMELandS Research Centre at the University of Westminster, the festival programme includes:
Join us for a walking tour to discover the fascinating stories and characters behind this iconic district and gain a whole new perspective on London’s Chinatown!
Dates: Sun 29 Mar, Sun 26 Apr, and Sun 31 May 2026
Book your tickets here.
In Search of Rice, Kakilang X Chinatown Collective Co-Commission project
In Search of Rice is not your typical Chinatown visitor experience. There are no stop-and-stare facts or dates to memorise. Instead, this is an artist-led participatory performance experience that invites you to feel Chinatown in a different way. Guided by 3 artists you’ll move through London’s Chinatown together as a group - listening to stories, noticing colours and markings, breathing in scents, and responding to the space around you.
Dates: 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26 March 2026
Book your tickets here.
The community salon invites people to join a day of free events to explore East and South East Asian women's stories, with three different activities on Saturday 28 March 2026. Choose which events you would like to take part in at the ticket selection, you can select up to two. The options are:
10.45am - 12.30pm: either - Women’s History Walking Tour of Chinatown or Memoir Writing Workshop
1.15pm - 3pm: Community Literary Salon and panel discussion with three authors
This latest collaboration for Chinatown Collective is developed in partnership with Dr Anna Sulan Masing, Dr Xiao Ma of Chinatown Collective, and Dr Anushka Tay at Westminster City Council Libraries.
Book your tickets here.
A year-long display inside the Gerrard Street telephone box, sharing stories and images marking the 40th anniversary. Stay tuned for our reveal! #ChinatownCalling
A public talk on the history of London’s two Chinatowns— more details coming soon.
And more in the mix — stay tuned!
All proceeds from ticket sales go directly toward supporting festival activities. Join us to explore, reflect on, and reimagine the meaning of Chinatown for generations to come.
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