Montreal Chinatown: A Glimpse through the Ages 唐人街：一眼万年

Curated by Fête Chinoise Editorial Team

Photogrpahy by Tim Chin

上次去蒙特利尔旅行时还在上学，想想已经很多年过去了。便约好友们说走就走，从多伦多踏上了前往蒙特利尔的自驾之旅，准备在那里畅玩数日。

During my school days, I visited Montreal a few times, and years have passed since then. Embarking on a spontaneous road trip with friends from Toronto, we spend a long weekends in Montreal together.

对这座城市，我并不熟悉，甚至只能算是一知半解。但是身为设计从业者，一直很欣赏蒙特利尔人的设计风格和作品，便对这座城市有些许向往。

I don't know much about Montreal’s history or understand the city. As a designer, I have always appreciated Montreal agencies' design visual language, minimal yet vibrant.

落脚点在蒙特利尔的唐人街附近，远远的就看见了灰白色的牌楼。我有些意外，竟回忆起在Fête Chinoise Inaugural Design 中的一篇关于蒙特利尔中国城的文章。便与好友去寻找石狮子和写着“唐人街“的牌楼。

We stayed near Montreal's Chinatown, I spotted the Chinatown arch from a distance, which unexpectedly reminded me of an article about Montreal's Chinatown in Fête Chinoise Inaugural Design.

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不知怎地，唐人街总对我有着特殊的吸引。每座城市的唐人街仿佛都不同寻常，既不像我成长的地方，也不同于我的故乡，它们宛如来自五湖四海的大熔炉，却牵动着我心中对故土的思念。

Chinatowns hold a special attraction for me, even though none of them look or feel like my hometown. But it’s like a Chinese cultural melting pot, always evok a sense of nostalgia for me.

穿过唐人街的街道，处处可见历史和岁月留下的痕迹。我很惊喜，这些建筑中的细节都被原封不动地保留了下来。尽管大多数建筑已经老旧，这些“复古”的装饰却少见于现实生活。即使在中国，新修复的古建筑群虽然华丽精美，却总透露出一股现代工业的气息。然而，在蒙特利尔，这些精致却残旧的花纹和装饰，用着自己独特的语言，讲述着老一辈移民曾在这里繁荣生活的故事。

Wandering through Chinatown, the imprints of history and time are everywhere. I'm struck by the meticulously preserved details of these old buildings. Despite their age, the 'vintage' decorations remain a rarity, these patterns tell stories of past immigrants.. Even in China, restored ancient structures often adopt a strange modern twist.

如今，因为蒙特利尔的城市规划的变迁，唐人街所在的位置已经不再是人来人往的市中心。但在蒙特利尔走过大街小巷，总能意外地发现一些中式元素。像是老房子通风口的回字花纹，院门上的长寿紋，街头上展示着的太极雕塑（朱銘大師所做）等等。甚至在享受正宗法式鹅肝大餐的晚餐时，我也惊讶地发现菜单上竟有中式融合菜，餐盘摆设也采用了中式餐具。

Montreal's evolving urban landscape has shifted the dynamics of Chinatown, it’s now all dusty and dirty. Some label Montreal's Chinatown as in disrepair. The traces of Chinese culture within Montreal continue to surprise me, like the vintage Chinese patterns on old houses, Tai Chi sculptures in Victoria Square, and fusion dishes on menus.

人们说，蒙特利尔的唐人街脏乱，破败，不值一游。在走过圣母大教堂，穿越圣劳伦斯河畔的街道时，又恍如自己身在欧洲风情的小镇。不禁深感，只要用心，旧时的建筑和文化同样能够得到传承。

When I walk along the streets, I constantly feel like I am in Europe. If only Chinatown could be preserved like the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. The documentary Big Fight in Little Chinatown captures this sentiment. Chinatowns worldwide are fading, along with our history as immigrants. How could we help Chinatown?

纪录片 《唐人街大奋斗》写实的记载了这一现象。全球唐人街都同样面临着被遗忘的命运，同样随之而逝的会不会包括华裔们多年来的奋斗历程？如果唐人街能够得到更多人的关注和重视，它是否就能够逃脱逐渐消失的命运呢？

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