A ‘paifang’ is not enough to restore Chinatown’s identity

The call for tenders launched by Milan City Council for the construction of a gateway at the start of Via Paolo Sarpi has once again turned the spotlight on Chinatown and on the coexistence between the Asian community and the large group of Italians living in the neighbourhood. The initiative, launched by Palazzo Marino—presumably at the suggestion of Chinese shopkeepers—involves the installation of a paifang, the traditional gateway found in Chinatowns across the globe. Someone suddenly felt its absence and found a sympathetic ear in the mayor’s office. And now, with the call for tenders issued, architects (including the Boeri studio, it is said) will compete in a public contest. The trouble, however, is that Italian residents are opposed to the idea. The Vivisarpi association is organising a sort of survey, and the opinions gathered by the newspapers are mostly in favour of a ‘no’. Marco Del Corona, a long-time correspondent in Beijing and now a resident of Via Sarpi, has outlined the concerns of the Italian community in his newspaper, the Corriere della Sera. Essentially, the neighbourhood has never been a ghetto; rather, it has been a model of successful integration and coexistence between different ethnic groups. A gateway – perhaps ‘in the usual Chinese kitsch style’ – would create ‘an outside and an inside’, helping to sever (even if only symbolically) ties rather than forge them. In short, it is anachronistic.

The truth is that Via Sarpi is undoubtedly the place that best epitomises Milan’s multiculturalism, but things have changed profoundly in recent years. And it is important to bear this in mind to understand the sentiments and attitudes of Italian residents. Once upon a time, Milan’s Chinatown was dominated by Chinese textile and clothing wholesalers, who have now moved to Lacchiarella or Agrate Brianza. In their place, dozens upon dozens of street food stalls have sprung up; outdoor seating areas have taken over the neighbourhood, and Via Sarpi has become famous for being the only place in Milan where you can still eat for relatively few euros. This attraction draws second-generation residents of all ethnic backgrounds in the afternoon, joined in the evening by all those who cannot afford to dine in a restaurant in ‘premium Milan’. The result, however, is far from ideal: it is often difficult even to walk along Via Sarpi; the rubbish produced by takeaways and wine bars dominates the scene; and Chinatown has also discovered the seedy side of nightlife, with its late-night racket. All this creates a vicious circle that pits residents against the trend. Those who have lived in those narrow streets all their lives, as well as those who arrived with gentrification, would never have believed they’d end up living in an open-air canteen. Needless to say, the last thing they feel they need is a ‘paifang’. In reality, if the Milanese authorities were willing to give the matter serious thought, they might come to realise that Via Sarpi is diverse but lacks cultural substance. There is a lack of music, cinema and entertainment – to name but a few – and in any case, the exchange between two communities cannot be left solely to gastronomy.