Pondering in Chinatown

賓夕法尼亞大學 李勁松

Hi everyone,hope everything is going well!

It's my second month to the USA,and I just came back from Chinatown,which is a really interesting place that I would love to share with you!

In fact,Chinatowns all around the world have no big differences.You'll see 3 items basically:The first is archway（拱門）；the second is stone lion,and the third one is ginkgo tree(銀杏樹).Maybe you will ask why there is always ginkgo tree?Because ginkgo tree is originally from China,which is very famous and is called the “holy tree”in Buddhism.It also has another meaning of perseverance and calmness,which reflects the aspiration of the former immigrants.So no matter which Chinatown you visit,you could definitely find a ginkgo tree inside the community.Besides,the ginkgo tree got a very long history:It is found in fossils dating back to 270 million years ago.

In the past,immigrants would settle down in Chinatown as their first stop.But now the education and income level of the second and third generations has been increasing over the decades,and the development of their business also no longer gets confined in this small area.So nowadays Chinatown is not the only shelter for immigrants any more,but a place for overseas Chinese when they feel homesick,which is also known as the“post Chinatown era”.

Some would say that the most authentic Cantonese roast BBQ is in Canada,while the most traditional Chinese new year is in Penang Malaysia.Perhaps some traditional cultures were lost in the Chinese origin,but they were preserved in the Chinatown around the world instead.

For those immigrants,giving up everything and coming all the way to the other side of the world to start a new life is not easy at all.Someone choose to live their life originally in a new place,while some other people choose to abandon their own culture to adapt to the new environment and try to fit into the mainstream society.

I've spent the whole day in the Chinatown,but almost forget the main reason for coming here:the mooncakes and dumplings! The mooncakes in Chinatown are basically from Guangzhou and Hong Kong and they both taste really delicious!

People in Chinatown come from all over the world,yet the fundamental connection that brings us together is the common culture background that we grow up with.We are standing under the same sky looking up to the same moon,and sharing the same traditional festival.This is my first Spring Festival celebrated far from home,and people would joke about that the moon is better looking abroad（Cantonese slang）.But anyway it is an extraordinary one for me and perhaps you might feel the same way I did...

At the very end of the article,I want to wish you all a happy Spring Festival and see you next time!

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Imagine you're the author of this article，what will you introduce about Chinatown to your fans?What is the most impressive about Chinatown?