Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond has indicated that Hopetown or Chinatown, an abandoned Chinese settlement in the Kamuni Creek, could be preserved for tourism purposes.
Chinatown as it is commonly called was established as a settlement for Chinese indentured labourers after their contracts had ended.
Minister Walrond and Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana, Guo Haiyan recently visited the community of Santa Aratak where a programme was launched to train members on bamboo weaving techniques.
“The Ambassador and I were talking to maybe further working to restore Chinatown, because it’s such a demonstration to the history and culture of Guyana, albeit our Chinese culture,” Minister Walrond told the villagers.
She noted that the Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Kamrul Baksh is also on board with the idea.
“We can really work with the Embassy of China to develop it. There are tombstones and graves at Chinatown and all of this can be used to augment the tourism product, so when people are coming down this creek there is also an experience that they can have. So, that is something that is just in the talking stages, but the ambassador is keen also for us to explore those options,” Minister Walrond said.
It has been documented that the settlers cultivated rice, plantains, and other cash crops and reared livestock. However, charcoal was the largest income earner and sold in Georgetown, along with shingles.
The population of the ‘Christian Chinese Settlement’ grew to up to approximately 800. However, it dwindled after 1874 and now there are only remnants of the settlement. Minister Walrond told residents that the government is looking to develop the entire area to provide an array of options for visitors. [Extracted and Modified from DPI]
