Birmingham's Chinese community has significantly shaped the city's cultural landscape. With Chinese New Year festivities approaching, we delve into the history of this vibrant community, the establishment of Chinatown, and how traditional cuisine plays a central role in the celebrations.
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00:00The roots of Birmingham's Chinese community trace back to the post-WWII era,
00:05when migrants from Hong Kong settled around Hurst Street.
00:09This area evolved into the Chinese Quarter, officially recognised in the 1980s.
00:14Today, Chinatown stands as a testament to this heritage,
00:18featuring landmarks like the seven-storey Granite Pagoda at Holloway Circus,
00:23donated by the Winghip brothers in 1998.
00:27As the Year of the Snake approaches, the city is gearing up for celebrations,
00:31co-produced by the Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Birmingham Hippodrome.
00:37The festivities will include traditional lion and dragon dances,
00:41cultural performances and a variety of family-friendly activities.
00:46Central to these celebrations is the rich tapestry of Chinese cuisine.
00:50Birmingham boasts many Chinese restaurants,
00:53offering dishes that have become favourites amongst locals.
00:58However, with evolving culinary trends, we ask whether traditional Chinese food
01:03holds the same place in people's hearts as it once did.
01:08Not as much as I used to, but I do. I normally get like
01:12something with chips and some chicken. Pretty sick.
01:15I eat from everywhere, Chinese-wise.
01:18Food, chicken chai mang, ribs, rice, and then the rest, just pate fillers, anything else.
01:24Chicken balls, a lot. Love it. Love Chinese.
01:28We don't often have a Chinese takeaway because we've got no access to it where we live in the,
01:35virtually on the edge of the countryside.
01:37But if we did have a Chinese, it'd probably be a banquet type of mix.
01:41There's no particular one food we'd have.
01:46I like from there the salt and pepper chicken, salt and pepper chips, salt and pepper prawns,
01:53egg fried rice. I think that's my order. I think that's the order.