This article is from WeChat official account:Incomparable Research Institute (ID: buuuxiangji) , author: rich adamantyl, FIG head source: YOUTUBE
“Grandma, grandma”, the Indian vegetable vendor on the side of the road greeted the passing old lady in standard Hakka dialect. The old man with a tureen sat on a wicker chair, leisurely watching the dark-skinned Indian pass by his door.
The dust raised by the road casts a filter on those Chinese-style buildings that were built in the last century and are now faded and dilapidated, reminiscent of the humid southern county towns.
This scene took place in Thaba, a small town in eastern Kolkata, India. As the only remaining Chinatown in India, this block of 0.5 square kilometers is like an enclave of China in India.
The old Chinese lady in Chinese clothes was sitting on the rickshaw with her arms folded, and the Indian in front pulled the car away.
“Many people live as if they were in the last century. Some are still using mechanical typewriters, some are still carrying large parcels on their shoulders for delivery, some are still pulling rickshaws, and some are still bathing in the street.”< /p>
Time and space seem to be chaotic in Taba. It is neither the homeland of Indians nor the hometown of Chinese, but people of two colors just wandered on the streets in peace.
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India’s Chinatown is a cultural collision between the two most populous ancient civilizations in the world. Chinese elements can be found in every corner of Taba. It once became a popular tourist destination for foreign backpackers.
Starting from the center of Kolkata, head south along the Gobinda Khatick Highway. As long as you see the Chinese characters, turn left and you will reach the Thaba China Town. Chinese, English and Hindi characters appear together in Kolkata, India, as if to give notice to every visitor.
In 2005, the first Chinese character signpost was erected in Chinatown, Kolkata.
Today, there are more than 200 Chinese families who rely on their skills and business acumen to make a living in Taba.
The Chinese economy in Taba seems to be self-sufficient. There are old Chinese signs everywhere, and faded Chinese characters say Beijing Restaurant, Guoyuan Restaurant, Jiexing Leather Factory, Chengchang Sauce Garden, and Meipei Middle School.
Taba became the last insistence of Chinese cuisine in India. Back then, there was a Nanjing restaurant, and actresses from Bollywood would frequently visit Kolkata.
In addition to the righteous business, the Chinese also set up smoking halls and casinos here. Due to cultural barriers, as long as there is no major incident, the police will hardly step into Taba.
There will be Chinese gold shops in Chinatowns all over the world, but the gold shops in Kolkata are different. The gold shops here sell soy sauce.
The walls in the store are decorated with gilded Chinese characters and paintings of ancient Chinese sages, which show the owner’s heritage of the hometown culture.