Concerns grow over the future of Chinatown in Sydney

William Poh runs a souvenir business in Chinatown.

William Poh runs a souvenir business in Chinatown. Source: SBS

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Now, with international tourism suspended indefinitely, business owners are worried the cultural hub will not survive.


Before the coronavirus pandemic, some 2.6 million tourists would visit Sydney's historic Chinatown each year, buying souvenirs and eating in local restaurants.


Australia closed its borders to Chinese travellers in February and to the rest of the world in late March, allowing only Australian citizens and residents to enter the country.

But a lack of tourists is not the only problem facing the cultural hub.


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