Tang People’s Streets
Photography
The Chinese people have a long and far-reaching history of migration. At the end of the sixteenth century, large-scale Chinese migration began, leading to the establishment of the first Chinatowns in Southeast Asia. Over the centuries, these Chinese neighbourhoods have spread across the globe and can now be found in major cities throughout many parts of the world.
As someone born and raised in China who has spent most of my adult life living overseas, I often find myself visiting the Chinatown wherever I go. These neighbourhoods offer a sense of connection to my cultural roots, yet visiting them has always been a somewhat surreal, even disorienting, experience. On one hand, I'm able to encounter various familiar aspects of Chinese culture that I grew up with: authentic food from my region, shop signs written in Chinese, and traditional festivities that remind me of my childhood. On the other hand, despite the name "Chinatown", these neighbourhoods bear little resemblance to the modern China I know. Instead, they represent a unique blend of Chinese and local influences, having evolved into distinct cultural enclaves of their own.
This series includes photographs from my visits to various Chinatowns across the world. The images reflect my personal emotional responses as I navigate these spaces, responding to the nostalgia, the confusion, and the surprise. At the same time, they also serve as visual documents of urban landscapes of these neighbourhoods, tracing the Chinese cultural elements that connect them, as well as revealing the distinct migration histories and local influences that have shaped each Chinatown’s identity.
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