It baffles me that the magnificent gate dominating the top of Chinatown is only ten years old. Like the area itself, it feels like it's been there forever.
Unlike the one in London, which at least has some corners to break it up and seem as large and sprawling as the Orient itself, standing beneath the gate in Liverpool means you can look right through to the other side, which can spoil the illusion somewhat. Also, I love how the streets encompassed are the least-Chinese-sounding words in existence- Knight, Duke, Nelson, was someone trying to force Englishness on the residents?
Of course, this is all just me being picky. Chinatown is the kind of place you're glad your city has, especially a record-breaking one such as this (it's home to Europe's oldest Chinese community, for one thing). Now is it just me, or would neighbourhoods based on other countries not be an incredible idea? I'll get doodling blueprints on my Etch-a-Sketch. read more