Kolkata is a multicultural city and you will find people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds who have made the city their home.
Among the multiple cultures found in Kolkata, people from Chinese background have a rich history attached to the city. People from China have been immigrating to India for many ages and Kolkata has been their favorite spot for settlement. There is a lot to say about this community so without further ado let’s read interesting facts about the rich history, interesting culture and tasty food offered by this community to the people of the city of joy.
Historical facts about the community in Kolkata
It is widely believed that the very first step taken by a Chinese settler in India was in West Bengal back in the year 1780. Tong Achew was the first Chinese to settle in Budge Budge which is a place in Kolkata. Soon after his settlement, he brought 110 laborers from China to set up a sugar factory. Soon the settlement grew in number and today the city is home to nearly 2500 Chinese people. You will find them hustling and bustling mainly in two places in the city namely, Terreti Bazar, which is famous for early morning Chinese breakfast and Tangra, which is also known as China Town.
The cultural mix
It is widely known that whenever an immigration occurs, with the immigration comes the culture of the immigrants. And with time the culture gets mixed with the culture of the place and we witness a concoction of a new thing. Similar instance can be found in Kolkata. You will find a cultural mix where the Bengali culture and the Chinese culture are striving side by side. Here you will find Chinese celebrating their festivals, Chinese New Year, Moon Festival and Hungry Ghost Festival along with the Bengali festivals. Apart from this, you will also find Chinese temples scattered all around the city.
The mix of cuisine
It is quite natural that when people of different cultures come to a place, they will also bring their food habits with them. Similar things have happened in Kolkata for centuries. The Chinese settlement grew in number in the city and as the numbers grew, there has been the inclusion of different dishes from the Chinese cuisine. Small shops selling different ingredients alien to the city opened up and different restaurants cropped up as the liking for Chinese food grew among the Calcuttans. Today if you want to have an authentic Chinese breakfast in Kolkata you can go to Terreti Bazar early in the morning, or if you want to have a wholesome meal, then you can go to different restaurants in Chinatown.
So, this is a short crash course on the Chinese community in Kolkata which I guess can trigger your curiosity to explore the community more.