Chinatown

[blackprince]

If there was a Chinese quarter in Leeds during the 1960s, it must have been quite low-key. During my student years in the mid to late 1960s, I never had a Chinese meal in Leeds, but I did enjoy meals at the well-established Chinese quarter during visits to Manchester.
Later, in the early 1970s, I recall eating at a Chinese restaurant in Leeds a few times. I can’t remember the name, but it was situated near Kirkgate Market on New York Street.

[buffaloskinner]

Just over a decade ago, one area of Leeds was unofficially known as the city’s ‘Chinatown’, which raises the question, where did it go?
Templar Lane was the centre of the Chinatown, and its echoes can still be seen on the walls of the now abandoned Lyons Works building. In fact, many may remember the popular area which, until recently, was filled with Chinese restaurants and stores.

Most have closed down over the years but you can still see the storefronts for some of the old businesses. The old sign for the ‘Lucky Dragon’ Cantonese restaurant is still in place, although it now sits unlit.

The former neon-lit sign is dark now and the paint on the storefront has begun to fade and peel. Bright-green tiles have been stripped away to leave a black roof and the door is covered in dust.

Next door, the Chinatown Shopping Arcade sits with metal shutters over its doors with the date ‘1925’ emblazoned above. A red door frame sits faded around the closed off entrance.

Other signs, faded or broken beyond recognition, can also be seen along Templar Lane. Many of these businesses operated out of the Lyon Works building, which is now covered in a large mural which reads: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, design for tomorrow”.

The design was added by Leeds College of Art students and professional artist Peter Barber.

The building itself dates to 1914 and is a former garment factory. Other storefronts have lost their signs over the years making it hard to name every store but many still retain some of their original character.

However, each and every one on the Lyon Works building sits empty and no new businesses appear to have moved in.

Hangzhou in China is twinned with Leeds and has been since 1988. According to a City Council report from December 2007 which can be found online, the city once offered a ‘Gate of Friendship’ to Leeds.

These gates are common in Chinatowns across the world although it never appears to have gone up anywhere. Instead, the last remnants of the area can be seen further up the road.

Vicar Lane is home to the Hang Sing Hong supermarket while many Thai restaurants operate off of this street as well. However, the Lyon Works building lies empty, only the old storefronts remain to tell us what the area used to be.

Taken from Leeds Live 2022

[Jann]

I’ve been a few times to the Lucky Dragon restaurant many years ago, the staff were always welcoming and very helpful people