Like its counterparts around the world, Sydney’s Chinatown carries a long history of offering sanctuary to people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Our corner on Thomas Street is steeped in that tradition. At the turn of the last century, the upstairs rooms operated as part of trade the Tiy Sang building, deeply embedded in the local banana trade.
In the decades that followed, the space rang with the clatter of clandestine mahjong games and housed newly arrived migrants - some of whom would go on to become successful business owners in the area. As families grew and the space could no longer contain them, it transformed again, adapting to a mix of uses.
During the pandemic, it quietly served as a gathering place for local traders, hosting an underground ping-pong tournament out of public view.
This season marks another transformation, one that will breathe new life into the space and open a new chapter for this corner of Chinatown.
📸 :
@_katlu 
