Shanghai Modern - Not just food!1.

The Pagoda is gone but all is not lost

Just a few years ago, the China town of London was graced with a small market place in and around "Newport Place." It even had it's own Pagoda where people would once play Chinese chess and market stalls would align the buildings around the small court yard where restaurants hail the seemingly endless number of curious customers off the streets to their food establishments.

Newport place was a kind of "square" if you excuse the fact that it's actually more of a rectangle, and seating areas are not customary compared to what you'd find in the European romantic squares ecetera ecetera. However, it was the home of many a small businesses from nail parlours, hairdressers, food stalls, to souvenir shops and asian supermarkets. It was a large part of the China town experience.