La Belle Maurice

Historic quarter

Chinatown, Port Louis

Port-Louis · Port Louis

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In the 1940s, large numbers of Chinese immigrants arrived in Mauritius, opened businesses and settled around Royal Road, in the centre of Port Louis. The district became Chinatown, one of the oldest in Africa. Sino-Mauritians make up about three per cent of the island’s population, and their quarter is visited first of all for its architecture.

What sets it apart

The way to see it is to wander the narrow streets, among shops and restaurants handed down from generation to generation: biscuit shops, Chinese cakes, baskets of steaming dim sum. Chinatown is also known for its street art: a panda bursting through the wall on Emmanuel Anquetil Street, manga murals on Venpin Street. In May, the Chinatown Food and Culture Festival fills the quarter.

Highlights

  • The narrow streets and architecture of the quarter
  • Biscuit shops, Chinese cakes and dim sum
  • The panda on Emmanuel Anquetil Street
  • The manga murals on Venpin Street
  • The Chinatown Food and Culture Festival, in May

Good to know

  • Walk on to the Central Market, which adjoins the quarter.

Getting there

In central Port Louis, close to the waterfront and the Central Market.

Where to stay

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