Chinatowns in Adelaide and Canberra

Chinatown, Adelaide

Chinatown, Canberra

Having just returned from Adelaide and Canberra, both in Australia, I was awe-struck by the far reaching tenacity of the Chinese people for survival. In all my travels, it is interesting to note that there do exist many Chinatowns in most major cities, but a vastly lack of Indiantowns, or Malaytowns, or other “ethnic-towns”. Maybe, it is the intrepid spirit of migrants coming from several thousand years of the Chinese Diaspora that has caused the establishment of the Chinatowns.

On this trip, I took it upon myself to interact with some of the Chinese residents in Adelaide and Canberra, and found them to possess the same laudable hard-working qualities, as compared with the other original settlers. For example, it is unheard of that the Aussies would keep their shops opened after 6pm, but the Chinese shopkeepers seem to come alive after dark! The territorial borders of these Chinatowns seems to create such a citadel of the Chinese habits and cultures, regardless of whether they are good or bad.

On one hand, it was heart-warming to hear familiar languages such as Cantonese and Mandarin clattering away, and the clanging of chopsticks and soup bowls in a foreign land. On the other, it was unwelcoming to sight the all too familiar kitchen gods, and other little gods (known to be protector and consecrator of their premises), standing staunchly or rather sitting immovable near the doorway.

I would hope to see in the near future of the purposeful migration of Chinese, not so much from the economic lean, but from the necessity-of-preaching-the-gospel perspective, permeating from the love of God abroad our hearts. It had been found that the hearts of Chinese people would be more open to a logical salvation message spiced by the anointing of the Holy Spirit when they are in strange surroundings. Surely, it is about time for Chinese in Chinatowns to leave the old practice of ancestor worship behind: back to their ancestors, and to embrace a new life, an abundant life, a purposeful life and a fulfilled life albeit in a new land.

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