New proposal for smartphone app detailing the history of Soho's Chinese community

Plans for a new and innovative smartphone app are in the

pipeline for a London charity, who I recently reported had been awarded a Heritage

Lottery Fund grant.

The aim is to transport visitors to Soho’s Chinatown, back

in time to experience the area as it once was. The chief executive of the Chinese

Mental Health Association, Leon Lee, is aiming to use the state-of-the-art

technology to “virtualise the oral history” of Chinatown in Soho.

The history of London’s Chinese community will come to life

with the proposal to create an app that will guide visitors through the

community’s past – from the docks of Limehouse, to the busy streets packed full

of shops, bars and restaurants of Gerrard Street today.

“This is the best time to capture the stories of the

original pioneers in Chinatown, just before we lose them, before it’s all gone,”

Mr Lee told Westend Extra. “It is one of the most popular tourist attractions

in London and yet little is known about its past and how it became a thriving

and bustling community that it is today.”

Let’s hope that Mr Lee and the Chinese Mental Health

Association’s vision will become a reality with the help of the HLF grant and

we will all be treated to a very accessible and user friendly app in the near

future. If the plans are successful, it could open many doors for other

organisations and groups to devise their own, similar apps. I would love to see

a similar app for Soho in general for example, great for visitors and residents

alike to learn more about this fascinating square mile.