Where Is India's Only Chinatown Still Thriving Since Ages? It's In Kolkata!

Sign up for this heritage tour and rediscover the interiors of Tangra while connecting with the Chinese culture in our city.

Often have we craved for the delicious Chinese fare at the popular restaurants in Chinatown. Apart from tasting an authentic style of cooking at the well-known Tangra area in Kolkata, we get a chance to catch a glimpse of the slowly vanishing Chinese population in the city. Not many are aware of the fact that this is the only Chinatown in the country where Chinese culture is still thriving in all its glory! Though the Chinese communities are scattered all over India, most of the families can track down their origin in the heart of the City of Joy. Since Kolkata is a melting pot of a variety of cultures, religions, customs, and beliefs, it is simply amazing to discover how deep an impact the Chinese culture has on our heritage.

WhatsHot Kolkata, chinatown

Image courtesy: Kolkata Explorers

 It’s hard to believe that Kolkata was once the home to no less than 20,000 Chinese and the number has now dropped down to a mere 2,000, comprising of the third generation immigrants. The Chinese community were mostly occupied with either owning food joints or working at the nearby tanning factories. In fact, they showed a lot of talent by successfully running beauty parlours in the local areas. It all started when Warren Hastings (the first Governor General of Bengal) had granted permission to Mr. Tong Achew to set up his own sugar mill. Later, a large population of Chinese migrated to the colonial Calcutta and settled in the Terreti Bazaar region. The Chinese influence is pretty evident through the spectacular temples built by them.

WhatsHot Kolkata, chinatown

Image courtesy: Kolkata Explorers

Established in 1820, the Nam Soon temple is famed as the oldest Chinese temple in Kolkata, which is dedicated to the worshipping of three different Gods (Choi Choi, Sea Fo, and Quan Tai) along with an idol of Buddha. Tucked away in the gloomy bylane of the Damzen Lane, you can come across an English Medium School (earlier known as a Chinese Medium School) right next to the temple. You can pay a visit to the Sea Ip temple that is beautifully decorated with handcrafted wall hangings, colourful roof hangings and interesting weapons. You can gain a lot of knowledge about the vibrant, Chinese culture by exploring these ancient temples in the city. 

WhatsHot Kolkata, chinatown

Image courtesy: Kolkata Explorers

Not many are aware of an interesting fact that the very first Chinese restaurant (the now-closed Nanking Restaurant) in Kolkata was established in the ground floor of the iconic Toong On temple, which is the most prominent ‘Chinese Church’ containing a large-sized Buddha statue. Before it was shut down due to a dispute over property, the Nanking restaurant was extremely popular and was even the favourite joint of celebrities like Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Raj Kapoor. Of recent, the Toong On temple has been featured in ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy’ (a Bollywood movie based on the adventure of the Bengali sleuth) and even the Nanking restaurant was recreated on the reel. Situated on the Meredith Street and open only on Sundays, the Choong Ye Thong temple is a conflux of faiths like Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

WhatsHot Kolkata, chinatown

Image courtesy: Wikimedia

For the real taste of a mini China in Kolkata, you should drop in at the Terreti Bazaar and witness the pomp and grandeur of the Chinese New Year celebrations in February. The festivities continue till 10-15 days at a stretch with the lion and dragon dancers welcoming the new year with much enthusiasm! The Chinatown is high on the food factor and is filled with old Chinese eateries that serve lip-smacking delicacies (don’t miss out on the Roast Chilli Pork, the Chimney Soup, the Pot Stickers and the crunchy Baos!) at a reasonable price. Some of the legendary restaurants in the Tangra region include Beijing, Big Boss, Kimfa, China Gate, Kim Ling, Ming Garden, Golden Joy and Golden Empire, which have been able to keep the tradition alive and the flavours intact. It’s not just the restaurants that will steal the attention of the food connoisseurs, because the Tiretti Bazaar has a huge collection of Chinese noodles, mushrooms, dried fungus, rice sticks, and other spices. 

WhatsHot Kolkata, chinatown

Image courtesy: Kolkata Explorers

To probe in deeper into the Indian-Chinese connection, the Kolkata Explorers team (a division of Green Step Tourism) have organised a heritage tour to rediscover the Chinese culture in Tangra. Named as ‘Tangra Walks - China In Kolkata’, this one-of-a-kind tour will take you through the winding alleys and dingy byroads of the oldest Chinatown in the country and trace it down to its roots. The tour will commence at the Vishwakarma Building crossing (or, the Topsia crossing) and cover most of the significant places, such as the Chinese Printing Press (still actively printing and circulating a Chinese newspaper), the Chinese Kali Mandir (with a special ‘bhog’ of noodles and Chopsuey!), the Pei Mei Chinese High School, the Toong On Cemetery, the Sing Cheu Sauce Factory (you’ll be surprised to see the wide array of different-flavoured sauces!), the founding restaurant of Monica Liu, and the flamboyant Chinese markets. Kolkata will never cease to mesmerise you with its rich heritage, multi-faceted history and a profound melange of cultures and traditions.

Where: Vishwakarma Building crossing (Topsia crossing), Park Street Connector

When: April 28th, 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Price: Rs. 950 per head 


Social image courtesy: Indiatimes, Culture Trip

Vertical image courtesy: Amazing India















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