Flavour Of Chinatown

KOLKATA SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 2008, page 2 ( TIMES CITY )

One-Day Tour To Soak In Flavour Of Chinatown

Somdatta Basu TNN

India’s very own Chinatown will soon be on the Kolkata tourism circuit, officially. The civic body has joined hands with some Tangra residents to come up with an "alley tourism" scheme that will take tourists 300 years back — to the days when the first Chinese immigrants settled in the city. It will begin with an authentic Chinese breakfast at Tiretta Bazar, followed by a visit to the eight Chinese temples, churches and museums. Tourists will be taken to the tomb at Achipur where the first Chinese colony was established, then the temples at Anandanagar and the cemetery at Beliaghata. The Chinese monastery will be a must-see. The daylong tour will terminate with a sumptuous dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Tangra. There are plans to build a full-fledged Chinese cultural centre inside Tiretta bazaar. "We have asked the government to identify a site for this," said president of Indo-Chinese Association, Paul Chung. Municipal commissioner Alapan Bandopadhyay said KMC would extend its assistance from the heritage funds. "I have asked the association to submit a blueprint. There is a friendly atmosphere developing between India and China. A Lucite policy is on the cards. After many years the city has got a Chinese consulate and Kolkata is now linked to China through direct flights. In the Buddhist Circuit Kolkata has been selected as the base before reaching Bodh Gaya. This is the time to focus on overseas Indian Chinese legacy." "Churches, Chinese clubs and old-age homes in Tangra take priority among the institutions that need to be revived and preserved," said Chung. The association also wants to revive the Nanking restaurant and the temple that houses it. "If we can get back the property we will set up a Chinese museum at Nanking temple," said Chung. The cultural centre will have an exhibition hall, an auditorium for Chinese cultural programmes, another for Chinese movies, a conference room, classes to teach dialects like Mandarin, Cantonese, Chinese and Hakka. Tourists — or even local people — who are interested in making Chinese handicrafts and artifacts can learn the traditional skills here. The association will submit a blueprint to Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Residents are ordering a statue of Chinese poet Lu Hsun from his birthplace in Shaoxint city. There will be Chinese nameplates and signages for Sun Yet Xen and Lu Hsen Streets will be redone in Chinese language. "We will create a complete Chinese environment. A China Gate will be built at the entrance to Tiretta Bazaar. We want KMC to allow the bazaar to be open in the evening too, in the name of Sun Yet Xen," Chung said. "The Chinese community will meet next Thursday to finalize the blueprint and hand it to KMC commissioner," said Chung.

CHEERS FOR KOLKATA CHINATOWN

KOLKATA SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 2008, page 2 ( TIMES CITY )

Grand Gateway To Shangri-La

A year after TOI ( May 19 & 20 , 2007 ) brought you a glimpse of what Chinatown could be, the govt & KMC have come up with rejuvenation plans

Somdatta Basu TNN


Cheenapara might soon trade its shabby, unkempt look for a more graceful exterior, complete with elegant gateways and dazzling signages, courtesy the state tourism department. The government has finally decided to take a look at the neglected Chinese settlement in Tangra — India’s lone Chinatown — and chalked up plans for a Rs 1 crore makeover.
That’s only for starters. A major rejuvenation project is on the anvil as part of the “Destination Calcutta” project. And Kolkata Municipal Corporation has its own ‘Alley Tourism’ scheme to make Chinatown a tourist destination.
Soon, visitors to Tangra will not be greeted with overflowing drains, slushy roads and stinking garbage, but three elegant arches on the south, north and east gateways to Chinatown. Decorated with traditional Chinese symbols, idols and dragons, the gates will portray ethnic Chinese architecture. The city’s growth has skipped Chinatown but not for long,” says managing director of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation, TVN Rao.
Two of the arches will be on Park circus connector and Gobinda Chandra Khatik Road. Each will have a map of Chinatown, marking out traditional landmarks and well known restaurants. “The Park Circus gateway will cost Rs 60 lakh and the Gobinda Chandra Khatik Road arch Rs 30 lakh. The signages will cost Rs 10 lakh,” said Rao.
Tourism minister Manab Mukherjee expects the Union tourism ministry to hand over Rs 1 crore by July. “The state is ready to finance whatever it takes to revamp Chinatown,” he promised.
The tourism department is already planning daylong theme tours. “For the moment, it will only be a visit to the restaurants and the Chinese monastery. But we plan to develop a few new places of interest,” Rao said, adding that they have urged the state government to identify a site in Tangra to set up an ‘interpretation centre’.
It will have information kiosks, shops selling Chinese artifacts, a gymnastics centre and a martial arts school. During the Chinese New Year, tourists will get to see unique shows and dragon dances.
The department is also eager to hold talks with Kolkata Municipal Corporation to clean up Tangra. “To project Chinatown as a tourism destination we will first need to develop the roads. The drainage system needs to be upgraded so that there is no waterlogging during the monsoon. Even the dumping of garbage at street corners by restaurants and locals needs to be stopped,” a senior tourism department official said.

KMC’S ‘ALLEY TOURISM’ PROJECT

Daylong trip beginning with Chinese breakfast, meandering through the monastery, Chinese temples, churches and museums and stopping by the tomb at Achipur where the first Chinese colony was established. Round-up with a sumptuous dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Tangra

CHINESE CULTURAL CENTRE

LOCATION : Tiretta Bazaar

FEATURES :

• Language classes for Mandarin, Cantonese, Chinese and Hakka
• Cookery school for ethnic Chinese cuisine
• Training centre for Chinese handicraft
• An exhibition hall and two auditoriums
  
  OTHER PLANS

• China Gate at entrance to Tangra
• Statue of Chinese poet Lu Hsun
• Chinese nameplates, signages
  
  GOVT’S ‘DESTINATION CALCUTTA’ PROJECT
  
• Three arches at the entrance of Chinatown portraying ethnic Chinese architecture
• Tour of Tiretta Bazaar and monastery
• Interpretation centre with shops for Chinese artifacts, a gymnastics centre and martial arts school
• Special tourist programmes during Chinese New Year
  

Surf the Link :

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIKM&login=default ( June 7 , 2008 , Times City , page 2 )

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Archive/skins/pastissues2/navigator.asp?login=default&AW=1212830970609 ( May 19 & 20 , 2007 , Kolkata , TOI , Times City , page 2 )

Grand Revival Plan for Chinatown Legacy

CALCUTTA TUESDAY 3 JUNE 2008

Deserted by 70 per cent of its inhabitants and left to rot by the civic authorities, the city’s decrepit Chinese quarter is suddenly getting the attention denied to it for four decades.

The Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) on Monday announced plans to preserve “200-odd years of Chinese heritage”, its slumber broken by a Metro report on the realty threat to the building that houses the now-defunct fine-dining address, Nanking, and a shrine.

The announcement was made after a delegation from the Indian Chinese Association for Culture, Welfare and Development, led by Paul Chung, met municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay to give its suggestions on preserving the Chinese legacy in central Calcutta and the city’s southern suburbs.

“We are concerned about the existence of our church and the site of Nanking Restaurant at Tiretta Bazar since the building has been sold off. We are happy to know that the municipal commissioner has asked police to protect the structure and revoked the permission given by the CMC to the building’s owner to tamper with the structure,” Chung said.

The association has proposed that the building be turned into a heritage institute or museum. Another suggestion is to construct a “China Gate” at Tiretta Bazar as a memorial to Chinatown, which once throbbed with life. “The civic commissioner asked for the proposals in writing,” Chung said.

Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya claimed that the CMC had already begun “extending civic amenities” to parts of the Chinese colony in east Calcutta. “China has reopened its consulate office in Calcutta after a gap of over 40 years and it is in the fitness of things that we do our bit to preserve the Chinese heritage.”

The city’s Chinese population is a mix of people of Cantonese, Hakka and Hupei origins. The first and largest Chinese settlement is still the one at Tiretta Bazar, now a claustrophobia-inducing maze of crumbling structures standing cheek by jowl with new but uglier buildings.

“This was once a home away from home for the Chinese, with all its temples, opium dens and gambling haunts co-existing with schools, clubs and eateries,” Chung said.

Heritage conservation experts believe any plan to resurrect the city’s Chinese legacy should begin from the horseshoe-shaped red tomb at Achipur, about 50 km away from the city. The tomb is that of the Chinese sailor Tai Pak Kung (also known as Yong Atchew), who set up the first sugar mill in Bengal in 1780 with 110 workers from his native country.

“That humble beginning 230 years ago led to the growth of the Chinese as a community. We need to preserve Atchew’s tomb first,” Chung said.

More than 70 per cent of the city’s 11,000-strong Chinese population in 1962 no longer lives in the city.

May surf the link :
www.telegraphindia.com/1080603/jsp/calcutta/story_9341845.jsp

TT

Nanking Restaurant

" The dwindling number of Indian Chinese in Kolkata make it easy to be prey upon. It is a uneasy time when these take place, and a source of unimaginable destruction to our culture and heritage: but with the sense of community pride and cooperative attitude from friends and neighbours, things can turn around and propel it to a phrase of growth. We are sure that there are many well wishers and many among these are eager to offer a helping hands. We, the member of the Indian Chinese community will greatly appreciate your support and encouragement. Please do let us know your feeling and support."

Yours in the service for the growth of our culture

Surf the link below to read between lines :

www.telegraphindia.com/1080601/jsp/calcutta/story_9346579.jsp

PERUSE

2008 Sichuan Earthquake

We are greatly saddened by the news that thousands lost their lives and that hundreds of children who were at school at the time are trapped in the debris.

It is the deadliest and strongest earthquake to hit China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which killed approximately 250,000 people.

What we can do is offer our support and our thoughts and our prayers.

China: Inside the Dragon

National Geographic Magazine ( May 2008 )
Special China Issue
The great nation is on the move.

"Chinese history has become the story of average citizens. But there are risks when a nation depends on the individual dreams of 1.3 billion people rather than a coherent political system with clear rule of law".

SAY SORRY

Read the signed editorial " Say Sorry " of today's (13/03/2008) The Times Of India or surf online at http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIKM&login=default&AW=1205393780359 or read the same below :

BRIEF CASE

Say Sorry

S N M Abdi


As New Delhi and Beijing come closer, it is time we apologised to the ethnic Chinese in India who got such a raw deal after the 1962 war. Beaten hollow in the Himalayas, the government unleashed a reign of terror against them that is comparable to the persecution of ethnic Japanese in America after the Pearl Harbour attack. Kolkata witnessed the worst crackdown because it had India’s biggest Chinatown, Tangra, with about 50,000 residents. Labelled China’s spies, a charge never proven, the diaspora was hounded and battered. Thousands were pushed into China under the cover of darkness. There were midnight arrests, assets were seized, bank accounts were frozen and properties auctioned by the government. Work permits were introduced to snatch their jobs. An estimated 3,000 Chinese were packed off to Rajasthan to live in police camps. State-sponsored persecution triggered immigration to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada and Australia. By 1981, Tangra’s population had shrunk to 10,500. Now it has dwindled to 3,000 and is still falling.
Paul Chung, president of the Indian Chinese Association, says that time has not healed the community’s wounds. He explains that unless India acknowledges that the Chinese were targeted and tortured, there cannot be any healing. India should of its own volition apologise to the Chinese. But Kolkata’s residents should go one step further to live up to their self-perception of being cosmopolitan and tolerant. What better way to end a sorry chapter than for the city mayor to host a reception for leading members of the community still around? Among those honouring the Chinese can be Jyoti Basu, who was branded a Chinese agent in 1962 and jailed. It didn’t really matter as he became the longest-serving chief minister and would have become prime minister if his party had not played spoilsport. Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, who tries to live up to his famous surname, should invite the Chinese to his Independence Day high tea in Raj Bhawan. Fortunately there is now a strong civil society movement in Kolkata that is unlikely to allow such state-perpetrated atrocities to occur unopposed. It protested Rizwanur Rahman’s death and the Singur and Nandigram incidents and forced the book fair to shift venue on environmental grounds. The city must never forget that eternal vigilance is the price of cosmopolitan civility.

Or read online at
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS00vMjAwOC8wMy8xMyNBcjAxODA2&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Kwai-yun Li

www.kwaiyunli.com

Read an interview of her on http://www.guidingstar.ca/Kwai-yun_Li.htm

Her book The Palm Leaf Fan is named as The Last Dragon Dance in Chinatown in Penguin India edition .

Now she is in Kolkata.

Email : kwai.li@utoronto.ca

New Mobile Player

The most interesting new entrant is ZTE , the Chinese telecoms equipment maker that is starting to give established western rivals, such as Nokia , a run for their money.

ZTE's success is becoming a " bit of annoyance " to Global mobile phone makers.

HINDI - CHINI BUY BUY

China is now India's largest trading partner . China's trade share is even higher than that of the United States by Rs 600 crore during April - October 2007 according to Economic Survey for 2007 - 08.

INSIDE CHINA

2008 is an exciting year for China as it hosts the Olympic Games in Beijing. BBC World has its finger on the pulse of this dynamic country this March with Inside China, a special season bringing together news, analysis and the best in documentary and factual programming - examining the impact of China's headlong rush for economic growth.

BBC World is LIVE in China with World News Today and the hourly BBC World news bulletins.

Throughout the month regular programmes on the channel will be dedicated to China – including HARDtalk and extratime with interviews and business stories from World Business Report and Asia Business Report.
The season also includes a range of exciting programmes that takes you to the cultural heart of a nation . Chinese School examines the delights and challenges of schooling in the nation, while the residents of White Horse Village are facing huge challenges driven by the astonishing pace of industrialisation.

Inside China is your comprehensive guide to China on BBC

Throughout the season, regular programmes such as HARDtalk ,The World Debate and fast:track will feature special editions focusing on China.

Anniversary of Sumgail Tragedy.

I attended the 20th anniversary of Sumgail Tragedy on the invitation by Rev. Fr. Oshagan Culgulian at Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy, Kolkata.
It was a very meaningful and strengthening experience. It leads us with compassion and sorrow through the suffering of those who had received from the hands of inhuman cruelty of fellow human being. It takes to a deeper level of understanding, in order that we the living may do whatever it takes to prepare ourselves to make it impossible for it to happen again.
To one and all, learning of the truth with all its horrors and sufferings is essential, for then it will have the power to unit and empower people, society and the world to be aware, awaken and to have the determination to stop reoccurrence of such inhuman acts.

Welcome To The New Ambassador on His First Visit To Kolkata.

The ethnic Chinese community is glad to welcome the new ambassador of People's Republic of China, H.E. Mr.Zhang Yan on 24/2/2008. We thank him for his visit as a sign of concern and affection. We wish him a long and fruitful stay in India.

Ji Xianlin

Read about the scholar's tryst with India in The Sunday Times ( 17 / 02 / 2008 ), page 8 , or surf the link : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/To_Sir_Ji_with_love/articleshow/2788448.cms

ART IN CHINA

Read about Chinese contemporary art through the eye of Monica Dematte in The Telegraph t2 ( page 13 , Friday 15 February 2008, Kolkata )

Arise ! Awake !

WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE DAWN of the Rat year,
WILL THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF HOPE BE FAR BEHIND FOR
THE CHINATOWN IN KOLKATA.

The coming dawn of the year of the Rat brings forth the light, which indicates the brightening up the prospect for the growth of Kolkata Chinatown.
This opportunity has to be utilized by the communities living here, and those who are living in the city. The result undoubtedly will be proportionate to the effect we put in, which is from our sincere desire for growth toward our destiny.
The city authority has given us the green signal to forward our plan for a better and more effective, more Chinese, and more vibrant Chinatown. For the fore coming year, all the communities should be gathering together to work out the best possible ways of making the Territti Bazar Chinatown into a location, which will contribute the Chinese identity to the city of Kolkata.
To make this a reality, and with the knowledge of our own resources, we hereby appeal to all people of good will and well wishers to contribute with suggestions and any help possible.
Thanking you all in anticipation for your kind-heartedness and your earnest contributions

Happy New Year 4506

Prof. Justin Lin Yifu 林毅夫

For the first time a Chinese , Prof.Justin Lin Yifu ( 林毅夫 ) has been named as the Chief Economist of The World Bank. Mr.Lin,55, is the founder director of the China Centre for Economic Research ( CCER ) at Peking University. He was the top economic strategist for communist China and had a key role in China's economic modernization.

Kolkata Chinatown

Read " Gateway To Chinatown " in The Times Of India ( February 6 , 2008 , Kolkata ), page 2 ( Kolkata Next ), about revival of Teritti Bazar , Tangra and dreams of development .

敬祝大家

敬祝大家

鼠年出大运 万事如意

Republic Day Interview With The Governor

Mr.Paul Chung in conversation with Shri GopalKrishna Gandhi ,The Governor Of West Bengal,India, and beside Mr.Gandhi is Prof.Husenur Rahman, broadcasted on 26 January 2008 - Republic Day at 8 pm by Doordarshan, Kolkata .

The Padma Bhushan 2008 for Ji Xianlin

In a rare honour, the Indian Government conferred Ji Xianlin The Padma Bhushan - one of the country's top civilian awards - on Republic Day on Saturday 26 January 2008. The 97-year-old scholar is the first Chinese to receive the award.

Welcome to one and all

All are welcome to ring in the Earth Rat Year.

Our Annual Lion Dance Displays and Cultural Shows will take place on Sunday, 3 rd February 2008 at Territti Bazar. It will commmence from 17:30 hrs.

Wishing one and all a very prosperous New Year.

New Office Bearers for 2008-2009 of our Association

The new office bearers of the Indian Chinese Association for Culture, Welfare and Development will be as given below :

President - Mr. Paul Chung

Vice President - Mr. Dominic Savio Lee

Secretary - Mr. Bobby Lin

Jt.Secretary - Mr. Xie Ying Xing

Treasurer - Mr. Peter Chen

Jt.Treasurer - Mr. Liao Amei

Counsellor 1 (Public Relation) - Mr. Sylvester Tseng

Counsellor 2 - Mr. Paul Lin

We wish them all the best and success in their work.

希望你来临的一年愉快和成功 .


The Times of India has published on the last day of 2007, in the Q&A, an interview with the New Consul General Mao Siwei; He took notice of the largest presence of ethnic Indian Chinese community in Kolkata. Although the number is dwindling down to about 3,000 – 4,000, and politically they are Indian but historically, culturally and linguistically they are Chinese, as one of the reason why the Chinese Consulate has been reopened in Kolkata. The main reason is to facilitate the estimated 30,000 Indian people from Eastern India, who will visit China.

.

祝你 圣诞快乐

祝你们大家和平,健康和高兴

Festival : Dong Ji

Dong Ji means the Arrival of Winter, it is the equivalent to "Winter Solstice".
It usually falls on 22nd or 23rd Demcember. It was a very important festival in the time gone by.
On this day a special dumpling make of glutinous rice is made for the occasion. These dumplings are make in the shape of little animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits etc, usually at the request of the children of the house.
This festival give the signal to those who are not at home to start planning their trip to go back home of the reunion at the Spring Festival.
This day of shortest daylight and longest night, people believe that the food consumed is at its highest values, and it is also the coldest day of the year.This year - 2007 in reality had the coldest day of 11 degree cent. yesterday in ten years in Kolkata .

The Hon'ble CM of West Bengal Sri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at Victoria Memorial hall for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games photo exhibition . With him is Mr.Paul Chung & Mr.Paul Lim.

PS : It's not fast shutter but wobbling movement of the camera phone that heightens the dramatic effect of " motion blur "


在为北京2008奥林匹克运动会照片的展示维多利亚Memorial大厅西孟加拉邦斯里Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee的Hon'ble CM.

先生保罗Chung和先生保罗Lim和他在一起.

PS: 它并非快是百叶窗但是使照相机电话的动作摇晃那个提高巨大的影响"运动模糊"的效果

Chinese consulate to come up at Salt Lake.

Reported by Debashis Konar.
Times City. November 2, 2007.

Kolkata. The Chinese government will set up a consulate at Salt Lake. Officials from Beijing will decide on the address on Saturday. The satellite town was selected for its proximity to the airport and relative absence of traffic snares.
Earlier, the ministry of external affairs had given its nod to a Chinese consulate in the city and Mao Sien was appointed the Chinese consul general in Kolkata. Sien met chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee recently. At present, he is operating from a five star hotel.
The Chinese officials are bunting for a 6,000 sq. ft. site and may even consider a building at the IT hub in Sector V. “Ideally, we are looking for a three storey building. We don’t want to share the premises for security reasons,” A diplomat said.
The consulate will help the city’s Chinese population with processing visas, notaris
ation and authentication of documents.
Welcoming the move, Indian Chinese Association for Culture president Paul Chung said once the consulate begins operations, it would be a boost to the 5,000- plus Chinese population in the city.
“It will go a long way in promoting cultural and economic ties. At present, we have to approach the Chinese embassy in Delhi for various needs, including sourcing textbooks,” he said,

Chinese' Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival will be celebrated on 25th September.

Our Association will be organizing the Annual Celebration for the youth on 22nd and 23rd, under the banner of “EXPRESSION ‘07”, at Sacred Heart Chinese School.

* On 22nd, the “Mask The Mask” will be held from 14.00 hr.
* On 23rd, the “Three Minutes to Fame” will begin from 14.00 hr. too.All the youth of our community, who are under the age of 15 are welcome to participate; and those who are above 15 are most welcome too. Your presence is a sign of your support and encouragement for the growth in our common culture

Mayor pledges to make aments.

The Telegraph Calcutta Monday 3 Septemper 2007

Civic body wakes up to Chinatown.

"Mayor pledges to make amends.
Deepankar Canguly.

Chinatown binds Calcutta to several cities in the world. Including London, Bangkok, Paris and Yokohama.
But while in every other city the pocket of Chinese habitation is a major tourist draw, it’s an eyesore in Calcutta, thanks to the apathy of the civic authorities.
The two sq-km- walled township in east Calcutta, which once housed tanneries, is not linked with civic water supply system and is overrun with filth, as there is not sewerage network. Even the roads there, are not maintained by Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC).
But the situation is likely to change, with mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya deciding to make amends for the civic neglect extending over 50 years.
“ I think we should have thought about the locality much earlier,” said mayor who claimed the neglect was fallout of the Sino-Indian conflict in 1962.
“ Drains, water and roads are the areas the civic body will primarily focus onto improve the condition of Chinatown,” said municipal commissioner Alapan Bandapadhyay, who has held a meeting with civic engineers to chalk out the upgraded plan.
Chinatown, comprising wards 58 and 66, extends from Chingrihata in the north to EM Bypass in the south and from Hatgachhia in the east to Christopher Road in the west.
Even 10 years ago, when tanneries were thriving in the area, there were over 2,000 Chinese in Chinatown.
Following the Supreme Court ban on tanneries within the city limits, the number has swindles to 1,000. While several tannery owners refused to shift to the Bantola leather complex and turned their establishments into eateries, quite a few young Chinese from the area left the city to settle abroad.
Of the 500 odd tanneries that operated from Chinatown, only 45 have shifted to Angola.
Local councilor Javed Ahmed Khan ( Trinamul Congress) and Lakshminmoni Banerjee (CPM) have welcome CMC’s decision to extend civic services to Chinatown.
Banerjee, however, claimed that she on her own had started projects in the area."

This event give a boost to our desire to work for a better indentity for the Territti Baza Chinatown. We welcome everyone to join us in this endeavour.
- Indian Chinese Association for Culture, Welfare and Development.

Chinese Tutorial Class - Kolkata

A CLASS OF THEIR OWN.

As reported in Sunday Express dated 29/7/2007. by Premankur Biswas.

A quiet corner of the city bears witness to a quieter movement. The Chinese community of Kolkata wants to reaffirm their identity by learning how to read and write in their native tongue.

The lazy July afternoon may unfold itself in the narrow moss covered Bentinck Street lane. Ten year-old Albert Lin may cast a furtive glance at the ticking Ajanta clock. The ramshackle ceiling fan may whirr up a lullaby like in films depicting typical classroom situations. But make no mistake. This is no ordinary classroom. “This class is held together by history. A common history that each one of the students here shares,” claimed Paul Chung, president of the Indian Chinese Association. “ Every student here has made a conscious decision to reconnect with his or her roots. Which is why for the past one year we have been teaching an eclectic bunch of Chinese people from all walks of life, how to read write in their own language,’ he adds, before gently pointing out to little Albert a mistake in a neat row of logograms, the units of the Chinese script.
However, Albert betrays no such sense of purpose. “ I’m here because my father want me to read and write in Chinese,” says the standard five of St. Joseph’s Collegiate School. Many of his more mature classmates nod their heads in agreement. “ I’m of Chinese origin, I do not know how to read and write in the language. Moreover, I do not know how to speak in Mandarin, the most popular dialect of China. I felt that it’s something I need to do,” affirms William Wong, who owns a chain of dry cleaning stores across Kolkata, before going back to memorizing a page from his cop of Han Yu, a beginner’s book in Mandarin. “It’s difficult,’ he smiles “to go back to the books.”
“Mandarin in the most widely spoken dialect in China. However, many Chinese of the city do not speak this dialect because their ancestors were Hakka or Cantonese speakers,” states Chung, who has arranged for a teacher from China to help him over his endeavour. “And before you ask me, let me confirm, the Hakka noodles that you love in called so because it’s a dish that belongs to the Hakka people.” he smiles.
Noodles and sauces are stuff that 26-year-old Paul Liu is more comfortable with. An employee with a popular city-based Chinese confectioner, Liu seems somewhat listless within the timetable and flow charts covered classroom. Yet he is determined. “ I’m slowly picking u Chinese, and it’s wonderful feeling to read poster and newspapers in Chinese. If you ask me why do I need to learn Chinese now, I wouldn’t know what to say. All I know is that there is an overwhelming need.” States Liu.
For Fiona Lee, a student of JD Birla College, the answer comes more easily.” I’m learning how to read and write in Chinese because I want to brighten my career prospects. With a burgeoning demand for Chinese speaking people in the IT sector, a sound knowledge of Chinese will definitely improve my prospects.’ States Lee.
Her namesake, Fiona Lin, though, has a different ambition. “ My only aim now is to follow the Mandarin dialect so that I can follow the Chinese films of my favourite actor Chow Yun Fat n CCTV, the Chinese channel available in cable networks around Kolkata,’ laughs Lin. “ Actually, I feel learning Chinese will help me understand my culture better. Difficult as it is to deal with all the stereotypes we are attributed with,’ she adds.
Paul Chung agrees. ”The Chinese identity in the city suffers from many dichotomies. At one level we feel very Indian, at the other, there at this sense of insecurity which generations of Chinese have inherited since the 1962 Indo-China War. That was when our loyalties were questioned. I remember how my own community deemed me a traitor when I took up English as the medium of higher-level education way back in the 1950s. Today the situation is quite to the contrary,’ he states.
Maria Chung, a teacher in Our Lady Queen of the Mission School, has dealt with such complexities all her life.” When I was growing up as a young girl in Kolkata, I used to feel detached from my community. The rituals, the signboards and the festivals never made complete sense. Today, when our teacher tells us about the significance of each word, and sentence, I feel much more rooted. In a sense it’s like going back home,’ claims Maria, who feels her stint as a “born again” student has made her a more sensitive teacher.
Paul Chung


Chung’s faith, it seems, is bearing fruit.” My students are being slowly initialed to various aspect of Chinese culture. Today they actually watch Chinese movies and follow Chinese television serials. If they accept Chinese popular culture, it will be easier for them to learn the language,’ says Chung.
So now poster of Chow Yun Fat and Jackie Chan vie for attention on the walls of self-confessed Hrithik Roshan fan, anl Liu. “ I make it a point to watch Chinese movies whenever they age screened in multiplexes. Earlier, I would follow the subtitles, but now I’m confident about the dialogues,” beams Liu, before going back t his copy of Han Yu.
As the students of the class ready themselves for another three hour session. Paul Chung excitedly announces that there is a surprise for them. He introduces Chang Kha, the new teacher, who has been quietly observing the going ons all this while. A round of applause and giggles greets the newcomer from the Chinese mainland, who doesn’t speak even a word in English. “ He will teach them authentic Chinese and will also help them get the accent right,” Chung beams, “Soon my class will go to different schools around the country teach people Chinese.” He sums up.

Second chance to learn Chinese language.

Check "The Sunday Express" KOLKATA,JULY 29, 2007, on page 6 of NEWSLINE. Under the title:- A CLASS OF THEIR OWN about the Chinese Tutorial Class in order to help the Chinese in learning the mandarin in Kolkata.

The routes that took Chinese to India.

Throughout the ages, the Chinese came to India mainly by:-
1) the famous Silk Road for trade,
2) the so so well-known Tea and Horse Caravan Road, and then
3) the Sea Trade Route between Canton and Calcutta, established by the East India Company.

The Dragon Boat Festival or Duai Wu Jie will be celebrated on 19th June, 2007.
This festival is associated with the remembrance of Qu Yuan, an upright official and a great patriot poet.
This date of fifth day of the fifth lunar month is considered a very bad day and during this month many diaseases break out.
On this day Chinese all over the world eat Zong Ze, as it is an essential part of the celebration.
In india, we consider a day of eating and enjoying the king of fruit- Mango, in addition to eating Zong Ze.

Read " The Times Of India " page 2 dated Saturday & Sunday , May 19 & May 20 , 2007 about CHINATOWN in Kolkata .

Every food that we consume has its own energy value. Chinese classifies the food into 4 types : Hot , Warm , Cool and Cold.

COLD - Bananas, Watermelon, Crab, beanspout, Cucumber, Grapefruit, Pineapple and Tofu etc.

COOL - Pear, Peppermint, Green pea, Bitter Gourd, Green Apple, Orange, Soya bean, Mushroom, Cook Onion, Cheese, Snow Pea and Apple etc.

WARM -Rice, Noodle, Bread, Pork, Chicken, Egg White, Fish, Pepper, Ginger, Garlic, Tomato, Spaniel, Black Tea and Milk etc.

HOT - Nuts, Grilled Food, Chocolate, Coca, Raw Onion, Coffee, Mutton, Duck, Red Pepper, and Deep Fried Food etc.

The advise is to have Cool and Warm types of food as they are more for restoration of Balance than those of Cold and Hot types of food .

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
If you eat :
Banana will help to ease your BRAIN (Cerebrum) after hard work;
Cherry will ease ANOXMIE
Grape will help to get your LUNGS in better shape,
Kiwi will help to cure bleeding GUM,
Mango will help in having a nice SKIN;
Orange will help to ease the pain in your LEGS,
Papaya will help to ease your tired EYES,
Pineapple will ease your pulled MUSCLE,

By the way, Vegetarian diet seems to help you in becoming CLEVERER.

This year in Kolkata the Pure Brightness Festival will be celebrated on the 1st April 2007, as it is on Sunday, a holiday for all, and not on 4th April. The ceremony of tomb sweeping will be followed by lunch organised by each clan for their members.

This year the festival of the Pure Brightness will be celebrated on 5th April. This festival usually falls on 107 days after the beginning of Winter.
This is also known as Tomb Sweeping Day. On this day, Chinese all over the world show their deep respect and reverence to their seniors, especially their ancestors. This is expressed by the solemn visit to the tomb of their forefather to remove weeds and beautify the tomb, burn joss sticks, offer food and paper money.
The other things to do are:- fly kites, plant trees such as melon, beans and specially Willows, as a remembrance to Jie Zitui. ( A loyal court official).

On the 15 day of the first month of this Lunar Year 4704, four college students from Taiwan who were on the tour to India, organised the celebration of the Lantern Festival with the students of Pei May Chinese School. It was very enriching as well as stimulating for most of those who were present at the celebration. A big thanks to our young brothers and sisters from Taiwan.

On the 15th day of the first lunar year, the Lantern feast is celebrated. This day is also known as Lover's Day, besides Yuanxiao and Little New Year Day. The day is marked by Lantern display; guessing of riddle of 10 messages of love; eating of tangguan. This is the day that conclude the celebration of Chinese Spring Festival or New Year

The Chinese keep the date of their birth, not has a different way of counting the age.The increase in the age is not at the birthday, but at some time during the celebration of the New Year.
That day is common day for all the Chinese and it is on the 7th day of the lunar new year.

Wishing one and all a very prosperous and successful Red Pig Year.

2007 is the 8th year in the current 60-year cycle and is Year 4704 by the Chinese calendar.

The Kitchen gods go up to heaven on the 23rd of the 12 months to present the report of the family, and return to the household with the all it deserve to celebrate the Spring Festival. The man folk of the family make sure of the god speak the good by applying a special candy on his mouth. To Kitchen god it is done once a year. On earth this practice are much more often, as it is done whenever it is needed

The Annual Lion Dance Displays and Cultural Shows will be held on 11/2/2007 at the usual place at Territi Bazar. The show is expected to commence at 16.00 hour. Welcome to everyone.

His Excellency The Mayor Of Kolkata Mr.Bikash Bhattacharya has agreed to permit to put up the above site indicator to mark the China Town Morning market at Teritti Bazar ( It is located between Dr.Sun Yet Sen Street and Lu Hsun Sarani - New CIT Road , at the crossing of Chattawalla Gulli ).