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London, melting pot of cultures
July 21, 2008Vivian Huang
My coworker proudly told me that “the sun never sets on the British Empire,” despite being renowned for the rainy weather. Apparently, this often was said at the peak of the British Empire. Under the rule of King George V, the empire’s span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous colonies.
As a result of all these colonies, the diversity of the British people in England is astounding. Whether it is English, Spanish or even Chinese, the variety of languages heard within my three-block walk to the Angel underground station is impressive. But that’s to be expected. According to the BBC, over 300 languages are spoken in London.
The efforts to remain connected with the many cultures of its residents are evident. This year, especially, London and Beijing seem to have an extra special connection. London was hosting a China Now festival. Launched in February, the Chinese culture festival, the largest of its kind, hoped to develop and cement partnerships between China and the U.K.
As part of this festival, the Victoria and Albert Museum hosted an exhibit called China Design Now. Lucky for me, I was able to get the student price with my ID, lowering the price by half to only 4 pounds. The exhibit featured three Chinese cities: Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai. From fashion to graphic design to architecture, the exhibit was interactive as well as informative.
But the UK doesn’t only have connections with China. All over London, ethnic restaurants, ranging from Spanish tapas to Korean barbeques, are not only delicious, but can be cheaper than fast food restaurants such as McDonalds or Burger King.
London really is a city like no other – a great big (and constantly changing) melting pot of cultures.