Chinatown in Brisbane

        Chinatown is a precinct in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia. It is locatedon Chinatown

Mall, a pedestrian street which occupies all of Duncan Street. The Mall runs parallel to Brunswick

Street Mall, and connects Wickham Street and Ann Street. The precinct is the location of Chinese

restaurants and shops, and is the venue for events including Chinese New Year and Valley Fiesta.

Street signs in the area are written in both English and Chinese.

        Chinatown's popularity with Chinese Australians has declined in the past two decades,

and Sunnybank is instead seen as the hub of Chinese culture in Brisbane. It is also home

to many restaurants offering Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese

cuisines. Its pan-Asian nature is also emphasized through the hosting of many Asian festivals

including the annual Indian festival, Diwali.

         Chinatown Mall was officially opened by Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson on 29 January 1987,

the first day of the Year of the Rabbit.[4] The Mall was designed by architects and engineers from

Guangzhou, and was intended to reflect Tang architecture.[5]

        In 1995 part of Jackie Chan's First Strike (1996) was shot in the Mall.[4] The scene featured

a car chase and an explosion. The Mall's pagoda was destroyed during filming and subsequently

rebuilt.

Brisbane City Council began a renovation of Chinatown Mall in 2009. The project,

 

                                                                  ------  reprint news from China Royal Gardens