Lifestyle: New exhibition showcases Chinese Lives in Birmingham
A NEW exhibition chronicling the achievements of Birmingham’s Chinese community is to go on display in the city.
The exhibition is the result of the British Chinese Heritage Project | Chinese Lives in Birmingham project, created to capture the hidden histories of one of Birmingham’s most established ethnic communities.
The project was initiated in April last year following the award of a £35,600 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The work is set to be completed next month.
The project, featuring likes of Mr Woon Wing Yip OBE and Professor Rayson Huang CBE (former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong) has recorded the development of the Chinese community in Birmingham through different life stories.
A permanent archive will be created which will be kept in the Library of Birmingham.
The project also features the owners of some of Birmingham’s most high profile Chinese businesses including: Wing Yip Superstores (Nechells), Chung Ying Group (Chinatown and Colmore Row) and Cafe Soya (Arcadian and Upper Dean Street).
There are approximately 20,000 ethnic Chinese living in Birmingham and the surrounding areas and the project helps to provide a valuable snapshot of their lives through their individual stories. The aim is to preserve these for future generations.
The British Chinese community is thought to be one of the oldest Chinese communities in Western Europe, with the first Chinese having come from the ports of Tianjin and Shanghai in the early 19th century. Later on in the 20th century, the majority of net migration came from former British colonies such as Hong Kong and Malaysia.
In addition to Birmingham,large Chinese communities are found in other UK cities including: London, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Sheffield, Nottingham, Belfast and Aberdeen.
Anna Yim, CEO of Chinese Community Centre Birmingham said: “We are delighted to be able to create this historical project that looks at the lives of individual migrants and British Chinese, as well as the development of the Chinese community in Birmingham – an integral part of the city’s history over the last half-century or so.”
A first of its type in the West Midlands, the project will culminate with a free, pop-up exhibition for the public at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, beginning on Saturday and running until June 8.
