What's New?
23rd August
Well time has flown and lots has happened with my life.
I am now a
proud father and as such site updates have been impacted I'm afraid!
CantoDict is still going strong though and I hope to find time for some useful updates soon.
On a less positive note, we are currently undergoing a spam attack, so please bear with us while we
try and deal with this.
/\dam
Last 10 posts in our forums:
Street Justice GDC w/ YaoYing OuYang - 春嬌與志明 07:37 by ♭♫
[+-]
Re: The rise and fall of Chinatown: The hidden history of displacement you were never told 09/06/2026 by ♭♫
[+-][
www.wttw.com]
When Albert Moy opened Bingo Tea in Chinatown Square in 2014, there were only three other stores in the plaza selling bubble tea. Now, there are over 15 in Chinatown Square alone and more than 25 in the neighborhood, many of which operate as independent franchises of large, international chains. While over the past decade Chinatown Square has increasingly commercialized and catered to tourists, the southern “Old Chinatown” portion of Wentworth Avenue between Cermak Road and 24th Street has retained more of the neighborhood’s legacy, family-owned Cantonese restaurants.
But since COVID, franchises have also begun opening in Old Chinatown. Sarah Tang, director of programs at the Chinatown-based nonprofit Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC), points to the opening of a Paris Baguette in the location of a Chinatown icon as a sign of how much the neighborhood has changed. The Korean bakery chain, which has over 4,000 locations worldwide, opened in February of 2024 at the former site of Won Kow, once the oldest continuously operated Chinese restaurant in Chicago, which closed in 2018 after 90 years.
Since then, a slew of international restaurant chains have continued to enter Chicago’s Chinatown, which is the rare U.S. Chinatown that has grown instead of shrunk in recent years. Bubble tea, bakery, and hot pot chains from China, Korea, Mongolia, and Taiwan have taken over vacancies previously occupied by local spots like the 40-year-old, family-run Seven Treasures and Moy’s Bingo Tea, which he closed in August, 2025.
Moy foresees this trend continuing, with one big brand following another. In June 2026, he reopened Bingo Tea in Homer Glen, a southwest suburb, to “try it all over again.”
Rising rents, rising costs for local businesses
When Bingo Tea’s lease was up for renewal in 2025, the rent "skyrocketed." Moy says the new rate, combined with ballooning property insurance and common area maintenance fees that commercial tenants are responsible for paying, would have made it impossible to support his family and make ends meet, despite a reliable customer base.
According to CBCAC’s Tang, Chinatown's last generation of commercial leases were for 5-10 year terms, and many of those leases ended recently or will end soon. Once they do, local businesses have little protection against landlords raising rents beyond what they can sustain.
“In 2024, we were seeing rents go for seven to eight thousand, but in just two years what we hear now is that it’s $10K plus a month for a ground floor on Wentworth,” Tang says. “It’s certainly not affordable for a new entrepreneur not coming with investor capital and just using their own savings. The startup cost is very steep.” 09/06/2026 by ♭♫
[+-]This is why we must vote Republican in the next US election:
[
www.youtube.com]
'It's taxpayers VS fraudsters!' 09/06/2026 by ♭♫
[+-][
www.youtube.com]
Walk the Line: Escaping from China to the USA | Ep. 4 | Investigate Asia
Quote
♭♫
[
youtu.be]
After encountering more Chinese migrants along the way, CNA correspondent Wei Du arrives in Necocli, Colombia, where the migrants are set to begin the most dangerous part of their journey: a long trek through the Darien Gap. As the migrants move ahead, the CNA team encounters roadblocks in the drug cartel-controlled territory. Meanwhile, in Monterey Park, California, newly arrived Chinese migrants struggle to find their footing.
Quote
♭♫
[
www.youtube.com]
Having encountered more Chinese migrants along the way, CNA correspondent Wei Du arrives in Necocli, Colombia, where the migrants are set to embark on the most dangerous part of their journey: a long trek through the Darien Gap. As the migrants move ahead, the CNA team encounters roadblocks in the drug cartel-controlled territory. Meanwhile, in Monterey Park, California, newly arrived Chinese migrants struggle to find their footing.
[youtu.be]
Quote
♭♫
[
www.youtube.com]
Hundreds of Chinese citizens arrive in Jacumba, California every day, having crossed the Wall that’s meant to fence the US off from Mexico. Their sudden arrival has caught Border Patrol and local residents by surprise. Chaos and tensions ensue.
09/03/2026 by ♭♫
[+-][
wgntv.com]
Community members also say they’re questioning the true motives behind Amtrak’s relocation. Some suspect the exit is a plan to clear Amtrak’s riverfront site for a brand-new Chicago White Sox ballpark.
White Sox minority owner Justin Ishbia is allegedly heavily financing the railyard project, prompting many to wonder if this is a chess move to clear Amtrak’s riverfront property for a new baseball stadium.
Another Chicago bridge appears stuck in ‘up’ position, traffic being diverted
If that happens, the Sox would be right across the river from The 78 development, where the Chicago Fire are currently building a new soccer stadium.
“The facility is going to span from 23rd Street all the way to Pershing, so it’s in the heart of the residential community in Chinatown, Armor Square and Bridgeport. Residents are concerned about their children, their own life, their health, the risk of living directly next to a facility like that,” she said. 09/02/2026 by ♭♫
[+-][
www.newspressnow.com]
Keeping Culture and Heritage Alive
More than a festive gathering, the Mid-Autumn Festival at Smith Street, Chinatown Singapore is an opportunity to keep traditional culture alive by bringing meaningful heritage experiences into the heart of the community.
Through traditional performances, crafts, music, storytelling and games, visitors of all ages can discover the customs, stories and traditions that have been passed down through generations. The festivities bring international tourists and local visitors together in the shared spirit of reunion, harmony and togetherness – values that remain at the heart of the Mid-Autumn Festival today. 09/02/2026 by ♭♫
[+-][
secretsanfrancisco.com]
Chinatown is hosting its 5th annual car show on Grant Avenue between Broadway and California. The car show will also feature a parade, showcasing vintage, luxury, and classic cars. Along with the selection of cars, attendees can expect lion dancing, live music, and even martial arts demonstrations. The frée car show is on Sunday, September 6, and will run from 10 am to 3:30 pm, and the car parade will start at 3 pm. 09/02/2026 by ♭♫
[+-][
www.youtube.com]
And then things took a very different turn. Eileen Wang, the Arcadia mayor, agreed to plead guilty after admitting she acted as an agent for the Chinese government. Prosecutors say she helped spread PRC propaganda in America while serving as an elected official. Speaking of that propaganda operation, prosecutors say Wang allegedly used a news website aimed at Chinese Americans to push the Chinese government’s messaging. So this wasn’t simply a case of someone expressing political opinions and the government alleges the outlet itself was being used as part of the influence operation. 09/02/2026 by hanpingchinese
[+-]Just to let everyone know that Hanping Cantonese is also available on the iPhone & iPad!
You can read more about this in our blog post:
[
hanpingchinese.com]
Or just go straight to the App Store:
[
apps.apple.com]
09/01/2026 by ♭♫
[+-][
sf.funcheap.com]
Saturday, September 5, 2026 – 2:00 pm
Portsmouth Square | 733 Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA
Chinatown, San Francisco
Cost: FRÉE
Come by any time during the day. Peace buns are frée while they last: steamed rice-flour buns with sweet red bean, offered at the altar and then shared with whoever is standing there. Light a stick of incense at the altar for your own ancestors, or for the wandering dead who have no one left to remember them. Shake the bamboo cylinder and draw a fortune stick and see where fate takes you. The Ghost King towers over the whole affair and will hold still for photographs. 
