Mauritius Chinatown

Time goes by; we often fail to realise how fast it does. The previous sentence you read is already in the past. Can you believe it? Take a time and reflect how many past events, memories or traditions are remembered. The fact is that engrossed in our daily life, we often overlook what endears us most...  This realisation pushed my usually under-explored creative prowess to think deep; I persistently desired about a memorial that conveys stories from the past that our present eyes cannot tell. This structure would focus our glance on the history that we overlook or are unaware of.   Pictures were the answer. Images, despite being still, release deep - sometimes vague - emotions. The interpreter is left to analyse for himself what the photographer wishes to tell. This uncertainty further sparked my interest: I wanted onlookers to understand for themselves the history that these pictures tell, rather than impose my perspective.  Yet, pictures need a structural base that hold...

Hi there ! The youth is well-known to be a great element of a country. Youth are often seen as people without any ambition or even someone with no tomorrow but deep inside of them, they are the ones who can take the world to the path of success. Youth is our future! The youngsters are energetic and enthusiastic. They are able to learn and adapt to any environment. And in so doing, they can surely achieve their goals. In every project, the participation of the youths is called for. Many people think that youngsters don’t show any participation in the society. But have you asked yourself ‘why’? Is it because the youngsters feel there is no place for them? They are not understood or don’t have the platform or the opportunity to show their worth? Can it be due to the superiority of the elders? The state of always being stronger, having the best position and being right? Or the fear of being surpassed by someone younger?  It is very easy to judge people or to point fingers. Whatever the...

Warm greetings to all of you. Did you ever ask yourself  how the Manga Street got so attractive. It was not just the paintings and the hard work implemented. It was also the immense love of the comics shared by the people that  elevated the image of this street again. What if, there could be more? What if you could dream more?  What if you could in some way embrace magic in the streets of Chinatown. I, Mohammad Jalloud Abdool Cader Fakeermahamod, am going to tell you what made me feel that Chinatown could use some of the magic from the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Yes, you read that right. Harry Potter will not just be limited to the movies and books only. You will be able to physically touch the trolley entering the nine and three quarter platform. What a scene that was in the 2001 movie! Need a memory refresh of what I am talking about. No problem;                                  ...

Hello! My name is Suhaylah Carim Bacor, a 19 year old craft enthusiast and team leader of the ‘Nu Dir Nu Fer Team’.   So a bit about my project, ‘Luk ene ku’(Sneak a Peek). My inspiration comes from the idea of ‘peephole dioramas’ we find in museums around the island. The concept is that when you look through a hole (peephole), you get to discover the little world/scene(diorama) hidden behind the wall.   I love this idea of being able to box the little scene. It feels like a moment of escape from the outside world. In addition it gives new depths to still photographs, bringing out small details that might not be visible when looking at the picture.                                               I wanted to bring this concept to the streets. It will give this feel of an open air museum to Chinatown as people discover pieces of the past by peeping inside boxes to see...

  Hey there,  I'm Ken Chan, a 19-year-old who loves learning new skills and tinkering with things. I am part of the team with the concept of 'Nu Dir Nu Fer'. Have you ever heard about anamorphic art? No? I'm pretty sure you've probably seen one before, in person or on the internet. This weird-looking name refers to artworks which looks like a mishmash of random warped shapes when looked at from most angles, but the pieces align themselves when viewed from a specific point. They often come in the form of paintings, sculptures or sometimes both at the same time.     These chefs-d'œuvre always pique the curiosity of people. When one sees what seems like an oddly painted wall or an unusual arrangement of small structures, he cannot stop himself from taking a closer look and be surprised when he finds the right point of view. I think that this effect will be even stronger if the creation is placed in the streets of the capital.           ...

Had you asked me one month ago what’s my idea to inspire the youth of today - my mind would be blank, nothing, nada, zero.   But when Mr Lam gives a speech about ‘Nu Dir Nu Fer’, slaps a paper on the table and says you have 4 hours to give him something, your creative juices have no option but to forcibly start flowing. As time went by, panic level quickly rose while the colour slowly drained from my face, but thankfully an idea popped up - Locks!   I've always loved the concept of interactive arts as an art piece is never truly complete instead it relies on the participation of the public. I wanted flexibility where each and every person had a chance to add their own personal touch but also permanence hence an interactive lock structure.     Now that I had a concept, it was time to turn to Google. Turns out that the most common lock structures are Lock Bridges. However, those were out of the question; they are way too dangerous and cause structural da...

For a few weeks now, a live jam is being held on Saturdays from 10:30 – 11:00 till around 13:30 on Venpin street in Chinatown where the first manga street is. Artists from all over Mauritius are invited to come and sing or just play their music.   Today, it was cold and windy. And our regular Mr. Milate is still present to share his passion, whether singing a sega, or a reggae or an oldies or even a hindi song! With Jean Danny and his piano.                But what was more “Wow” today was the public. Jean Claude came to deliver a parcel to someone in Chinatown and on his way home, he saw the live jam. He could not believe this was happening in Chinatown and he was just like a boy who just received a sweet. After a while watching, he could not help but ask Mr. Milate for permission to use his guitar to sing a couple of songs! He left with a huge smile on his face with a promise to come again.             ...

Chu Fung Leung, well known for the large selection of Hakka mooncakes, is where good taste & happiness are merged from just one bite. Are you ready to bite into the delicious and scrumptious cakes of the Chu family?   Evolution of the business In 1936, KoungKoung (grand father) Chu came to our small island from Meizhou (梅州), also known as Moyenne, by boat. Like many other Chinese migrants, he had to work until he had enough money to make his wife come from China in 1938. With his knowledge of making Chinese cakes in a pastry shop in China, he opened his first dream shop in 1942 on Royal Street (Rue Royale).  He then passed on his knowledge to his son, Hoeng Kue(2nd generation) still in his 80s, who later took over the business when he passed away in 1972. After a fire incident in 2013, Mister Chu is now located in the corner of Emmanuel Anquetil street (Rue la Rampe) and Venpin street (Manga street). As Mr Bernard Chu (3rd generation) said: "Mister Chu is popular for ...

Hi there! Our Chinatown has been let aside for so many years. Luckily, it is now reviving slowly. Through the initiative of Mr. Jean Paul Lam, the New Chinatown Foundation was born. Many changes, benefiting the Chinatown itself and the economy, have happened and are happening. Let’s find them out and appreciate them…  A new fresh air and a new vibrancy! Our small Chinatown is now full of colours, brightening up our days. It has changed from its dusty and neglected state to a vivid, lively and joyful place which now attracts people from all over the country and even from the globe.  It’s really impressive to see how much work have been done during the 2 years of existence of the New Chinatown Foundation. Now, just imagine how much can be done in 5 years! The various activities are as follows: Mural paintings, cleaning days, recycling, gardening, advertising campaigns, live jams and many more. This shows the determination, hard work and commitment of this amazing team. ...

The Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie) which is an important celebration in China was recently celebrated on Thursday 25th June 2020. The Dragon Boat Festival takes place on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional Chinese calendar, thus it is also called the Double Fifth Festival.  Dragon Boat Race Dragon Boat racing is the most important activity during the Dragon Boat Festival. Do you know the history behind the dragon boat race? The dragon boat race is said to originate from people who race out in boats to try to save a patriotic poet named Qu Yuan who drowned himself in Miluo River or at least to retrieve his body.  In many countries including Mauritius, a dragon boat race is held for this festival. The race has been held annually at Le Caudan Waterfront since 2005, where around 8 – 10 teams of 25 participants usually participate. During the race, the team would paddle harmoniously accompanied by the sound of beating drums. Teams from Rodrigues Island and Reunion Is...

Hi there!  I’m sure that you are all wondering on which specific change I’ll be talking about. So let’s see if we have the same point of view. Continue to read to find out... What’s a ‘change’? A change is something or someone that is transformed but when should we change? According to me, changing is just like the cycle of life. At every stage of life (whether it is childhood, adolescence or adulthood), we learn new things and we develop ourselves. Every day, every week, every month leads to self development which is a continuous life cycle. Our Chinatown has now lost most of its values and is dying because it has been abandoned for several decades. So, have you ever thought to bring a change to it? In order to recreate Chinatown, we need to change ourselves, not physically but mentally. An open-mind is the key to evolution. At first, being broad-minded may be difficult to accept as it is human nature to be afraid of new ideas, new projects and being surpassed by others. But, ...

Today I am going to share with you some of the delicacies that can be found in our Chinatown. Did you know that some of our local cuisine are unique? Let me tell you why... Even though these recipes were brought by our ancestors from China when they came to Mauritius, over the years they have been adjusted and are now typical Chinese Mauritius food. Niouk yen Niouk yen, also known as "boulette chouchou" is a steamed dumpling. It is made from chayote or what we call "chouchou" in Mauritius, thus the name "boulette chouchou". The chayote will be mixed with some meat (pork or chicken) and dried shrimp to make the niiouk yen but it can also be made without meat. I believe most if not all Mauritans would have tasted it. If you haven’t, I would highly recommend you to try it; it can be found in most snacks and restaurants around Chinatown.  Siu mai (燒賣) Another popular delicacy is Siu mai, also known as Sao Mai in Mauritius. It is a Cantonese dumpling and is one...

Hi there!  After many of your support and advices from my first blog, I’m here again. Today, I’m going to talk about the NCF (New Chinatown Foundation) which I think brings people together, from strangers to a big family. March 2019 Have you ever heard about the NCF? If not, you're definitely wondering what is it? Well, let me give you the answer. The NCF is a non-profit organisation created in 2018 by Mr Jean-Paul Lam with the objective of reinventing the Chinatown of our paradise island. By now, the NCF has done many changes in Chinatown: Marvelous mural paintings, eco-friendly bins, the biggest dragon Tangloon made from the recycled plastic bottles, social events and many more.  December 2019 You may be wondering why am I interested in this NGO at my young age? In 2018, I still remember the first time that I went to help them in their activities. It was to have fun with my friends and to achieve extra-curricular activities for school. Besides, I could make good use of my ...