A virtual history of Chinatown - CMHA's Leon Lee plans to "transport people back in time" with smartphone app

Published: 01 April 2011
by JOSH LOEB

THE head of a charity is aiming to transport Chinatown visitors back in time via a smartphone application being developed thanks to a £193,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Leon Lee, chief executive of the Chinese Mental Health Association, wants to use cutting-edge technology to “virtualise the oral history” of Soho’s Chinatown. 

Mr Lee, 43, plans to create a phone application that will guide people through the history of London’s Chinese community, from the first Chinatown – established in the docks of Limehouse – to the bustling shops and restaurants of today’s Gerrard Street. 

“This is the best time to capture the stories of the original pioneers in Chinatown, just before we lose them, before it’s all gone,” he said. “It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London and yet little is known about its past and how it became a thriving and bustling community that it is today.”