Your ultimate guide to Liverpool’s Chinatown - where to eat, where to shop and its incredible history

Liverpool is home to the longest-established Chinese community in Europe. The trade links between Shanghai and the city's port in the mid-1800s were instrumental in this. Almost 200 years later, we can see the impact of this immigration on the city's Chinatown.

Of course, you can't mention Chinatown without mentioning the food. As well as well-established restaurants, it's great to see new additions popping up here, and its influence goes well beyond the gates. Though far from traditional, believed to have been created in a Liverpool chip shop, salt and pepper seasoning can be added to chips and just about anything else to create a spicy, umami taste sensation, firmly becoming a scouse staple.

For those who prefer homecooked delights, Chung Wah is an Asian supermarket that has fresh, frozen, and dried ingredients to inspire a plethora of fakeaway dishes you might want to rustle up at home.

Home to the largest Chinese Arch outside of China, it stands at 13.5 metres high. Spanning Nelson Street, The Imperial Arch features 200 dragons and five roofs. Protected by two bronze lions and placed with the principles of Feng Shui.

The Arch was a gift from Shanghai, a city twinned with Liverpool, and it was shipped over, piece by piece. It was assembled in 2000 and erected in time for the annual Chinese New Year celebrations, which are held in Liverpool's Chinatown each year.

Pagoda Arts aims to introduce Chinese Culture to a wide and diverse community and is home to a unique Youth Orchestra. The Centre organises both educational and cultural classes. Teaching English, Tai Chai, traditional dance classes and more, learners are mainly from Merseyside, but people travel from farther afield to improve people's understanding of Chinese culture.

Though no visit to the city is complete without visiting Chinatown, you can feel the influence throughout the city, whether it's the cuisine which has found a place in our hearts or the impact it's had on Liverpool's history as a major port.