“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 begin 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 our very first search for ‘Chinese’ in the database drew up two types of results:
images of Chinese-style porcelain vases
reproductions of advertisements in newspapers for Chinese businesses
Nothing else.
Sources for British Empire Exhibition of 1924 revealed scanty references to the Hong Kong pavilion.
There had to be more stories to tell.
The Chinese heritage uncovered in this project will help to make the archives more representative and help to showcase the heritage of Brent people of East Asian heritage.
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, at a Chinese restaurant called Kuo Yuan, 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.