“On The Trail of the Peking Duck!” brings to life the history of local people and places from communities of Chinese heritage, starting with a hunch that we would find intriguing stories to tell. This research project is not exhaustive - there are many stories not told.
The intention was to start a journey to fill the gaps in our local history records
And to share the heritage of a largely overlooked local community.
WHERE DID THIS PROJECT BEGIN?
At the Brent Museum & Archives the search for ‘Chinese’ in the database drew up limited results: Chinese style porcelain vases and some reproductions of advertisements for a handful of Chinese businesses.
A search result for the Hong Kong pavilion at Wembley’s British Empire Exhibition created a starting point for this project, highlighting the strong link between the Chinese community, commerce and regional cuisine.
Alongside the findings from the archive, we wanted to explore local folklore about the invention of the Peking Duck in Willesden.
This project follows the trail of the Peking Duck to explore people and places that were, and/or continue to be, important to the local Chinese community.
SO, WHAT IS ‘THE TRAIL OF THE PEKING DUCK’?
The inspiration for the research was drawn from a story of the classic Peking Duck dish being served for the first time in UK history in Brent, on Willesden’s High Road.
WHAT NEXT?
The research will form part of the development of our Willesden Immigrants Trail (WIT).
The growing trail celebrates the contribution of immigrants from different countries, who settled in the Willesden area for very different reasons - and have made a difference.
We are seeking funding to develop the trail onto an app and place plaques to tell the stories in key locations.