Liverpool’s New Museum Features Chinese Scousers

While we’re on the subject of cities with a connection to China (Marseilles yesterday), it’s worth noting that Liverpool’s wonderful Liver Building is celebrating its centenary. Many will know that Liverpool is officially twinned with Shanghai – both ports obviously, both great trading cities, Liverpool has always had a large Chinese community with many hailing originally from Shanghai and Ningbo, courtesy of the Chinese sailors who worked the Blue Funnel line. Many will also note the slight similarity between the architecture and frontage of the Bund in Shanghai and the Liverpool waterfront and the Liver Building in period terms.

This week is also the opening of the 72 million quid Museum of Liverpool. A friend who’s popped in in the first few days informs me that Liverpool’s Chinese community is represented in the museum, particularly an interesting photography of the annual Chinese Picnic organised by the Chinese Freemasons in the 1930s – amazing how many English kids there are with labels on sporting Chinese names – hey, anything for a free picnic right? I assume, or at least hope, that the exhibit also deals with the nasty, spiteful and racist expulsion of many Chinese seamen from Liverpool after World War Two that left wives without husbands and breadwinners and children without fathers and mentors. It was one of the most shameful moments in post-war British history.

anyway – here’s a couple of resources for the Liverpool Chinese story:

Liverpool and its Chinese Seamen

Liverpool Chinatown

And the beautiful and majestic Liver Building