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WEB
TOURISTS VISIT CHINATOWN
15th October, 2001
THE JOURNAL
Section : Regional
News
By : Amanda Crook
A NEW website will let people around the world take
a walk through Newcastle's Chinatown from the comfort
of their own homes.
www.newcastlechinatown.co.uk
will use 3D technology designed by academics at Teeside
University to generate images of Stowell Street, St
Andrew Street, Fenkle Street, Low Friar Street, Bath
Lane and Pink Lane.
The project follows
a Chinese community campaign to boost business after
trade fell 40pc in the wake of national newspaper
headlines claiming Chinese food turned into swill
for a Northumberland farm started the foot-and-mouth
outbreak.
Visitors to the site
will be able to look inside individual businesses.
Site founder Tony
Yau, who also manages a project to develop the local
Chinese Community, taught himself web design in order
to set up the project, which he is hoping to launch
in a month's time.
It will then track
the re-development of Chinatown as it undergoes a
complete transformation.
Tony Yau said "Websites
tend to have either a business or a consumer focus.
We are trying to creates a site that benefits both,
and creates strong links with other Chinese communities
in the UK and abroad.
"It's an exciting
time in Newcastle Chinatown at the moment. Plans are
being made to develop this area further. I hope when
the official site is launched it will attract a lot
of attention.
"Although there
is basic content published on the site at the moment,
this is to be replaced by the launch at the end of
the month. The site will continue to develop, so keep
an eye on it"
The website will also
contain community news and details of forthcoming
events. It will involve local associations, businesses
and national Chinese communities across the UK and
overseas, allowing them to communicate through e-mails,
chat forums and links to websites of other Chinese
communities throughout the world.
All the Chinese businesses
will eventually have their own sites linked to the
main forum.
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