Many Chinese immigrants first arrived in Liverpool in the late 1850’s as a result of Alfred Holt and Company employed large number of Chinese seamen while establishing the Blue Funnel Shipping Line. This created strong trade links between the cities of Shanghai, Hong Kong and Liverpool; mainly importing silk, cotton and tea. To accommodate their workers on shore leave in Liverpool, the shipping company opened boarding houses close to the docks where the men could stay with fellow countrymen, who spoke in their own language.
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Some Chinese sailors decided to jump ship and settled in an area of the city close to the docks around Cleveland Square, Pitt Street and Frederick Street. Gradually from the 1890s onwards, Chinese people began to set up their own shops, cafes and boarding houses to cater for the needs of the Chinese sailors. Some Chinese landlords exploited the situation and charged the illegal settlers higher rent than the going rate. One of the first Chinese shops opened was in Pitt Street. The Chinese seamen were well liked by the local women as they were seen to be hard working, did not often drink alcohol and took care of their families’ welfare. Marriages between Chinese men and local women were beginning to take place in this period, though many Chinese men stayed single. At the beginning of the First World War, there was a large number of Chinese mariners in the city.
During World War One, the Government borrowed ships from the Blue Funnel Line, some of which were destroyed or badly damaged. Whilst waiting for the next ship the seamen were compensated with vouchers worth £5, nicknamed the ‘white duvet cover’ due to its thickness. The time the Chinese sailors spent on shore leave in Liverpool could vary from two weeks to a month. As there was no entertainment for the seamen to spend their money on, they usually gathered in gambling establishments around the area. When gambling, the vouchers were used as chips with the value of each bet being estimated by measuring the thickness of the wad with a ruler.
The Chinese settlers who were now established in the city, were concerned about the amount of seamen who were gambling away their wages, so in 1917, a ‘Chinese Seaman’s Welfare Centre’ was opened in Bedford Street. This provided a place for them to gather, socialise and divert their attention away from the gambling dens.
After World War One the Chinese population in Liverpool began to spread slowly inland to Cornwallis Street, Dickenson Street, Kent Street and Greetham Street. By now there were around fourteen different Chinese owned businesses in Pitt Street where you could either eat or buy Chinese food. Many Chinese men and their caucasian wives set up laundry business around the city.
During the 1930’s, the council planned to replace all the decaying dwellings and warehouses in the area known as ‘Chinatown’. The decay was due to economic depression of the time and the consequent recession in the shipping business, which caused the increase number of seamen who jumped ship. But during World War II, German bombers had destroyed Pitt Street, Cleveland Square and Frederick Street, causing the Chinese settlers to move further inland to Nelson Street, Great George Street, Upper Parliament Street, Duke Street and Berry Street.
In year 2000, a Chinese Ceremonial Archway in Liverpool Chinatown was constructed at the top of Nelson Street. It became a local landmark and a tourist attraction. The structure was imported piece by piece from Shanghai, and then reconstructed by craftsmen from China. There are 200 dragons on the wooden and marble structure with a mixture of stunning gold, red, green and the Chinese Royal colour of yellow. The archway stands at 15m high, which is the largest in Europe. According to Feng Shui experts, it will protect Chinatown from evil, and bring good luck and fortune to the area.
Today, Chinatown is still centred on Nelson Street, Duke Street and Berry Street area, where many community associations, Chinese gospel church, restaurants, supermarkets, book shops, etc are based.