Chinatown

华埠

A Chinatown is a complex urban and cultural phenomenon that embodies the interplay between migration, representation, and spatial imagination. At its core, a Chinatown is an imagined space—a socially and culturally constructed environment shaped by both the communities who inhabit it and the external perceptions of those who visit or observe it. These districts, often located in Western cities, originated as ethnic enclaves where Chinese immigrants settled due to exclusionary laws and racial segregation. Over time, however, they evolved into symbolic spaces representing “Chineseness” for broader society.
Chinatowns are often subject to Disneyfication—the process by which spaces are sanitized, themed, and commodified for tourism and consumption. In this context, Chinatown becomes less a lived community and more a stage for exoticized performances of culture: lanterns, dragons, pagoda-style architecture, and curated restaurants replace the complex, diverse realities of Chinese diasporic life. Academically, this produces questions of belonging for Chinese migrant communities and questions of ‘authenticity’ such as in Chinese restaurants.
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague each host their own versions of a Chinatown, reflecting different approaches to cultural integration and urban development. Rotterdam’s Chinatown functions as a vibrant residential neighbourhood, where people live, shop, dine, and access services such as traditional Chinese medicine. In contrast, Amsterdam’s Chinatown is located in the tourist-heavy Zeedijk area, known for its bustling Chinese restaurants and the prominent Fo Guang Shan He Hua Buddhist temple. Inaugurated by Queen Beatrix in 2000, the temple stands as a symbolic recognition of the Chinese community’s integration into Dutch society. Meanwhile, The Hague’s Chinatown successfully attracts ‘ethnic tourism’ by marketing the area’s cultural appeal.