City Chinese pay tribute to first settler at Achipur

Kolkata: Members of Kolkata's Chinese community visited the historic Chinese temple in Achipur on the city's outskirts on Friday to observe the birth anniversary of Tong Achew, the first known Chinese trader to arrive in India. The day coincided with the closing day of this year's Chinese New Year celebrations. Organised by members of the Gee Hing Chinese Temple in Tiretta Bazar's Chinatown, the visit to the over 300-year-old shrine near Budge Budge was a mix of remembrance, ritual and homecoming for a community whose roots in Bengal stretch back more than three centuries. Carrying food, fruits, flowers and other offerings, community members gathered at the temple courtyard to lay flowers, light incense sticks and candles, offer food and sing religious hymns. For many in the gathering, the visit was about reconnecting with the roots. "For a few hours, Achipur, where no Chinese family lives today, was transformed into a place of memory and belonging," said Michael Hsieh, me-mber of Gee Hing Club and an organisers of the visit. The temple, built in 1718 to mark Kolkata's first Chinese settlement, was established by Achew in the early 18th century. The village is believed to derive its name from Achew, who set up sugarcane cultivation and a sugar-manufacturing plant in the area, employing Chinese workers who followed him to India. "This place is where our history began," said Hsieh. The annual visit has acquired greater significance since the recent restoration of the temple. Christopher Ian Alpin, a community member who documented the restoration, said the revival of the shrine renewed the emotional bond many people feel with Achipur. "The restoration was not just about saving an old structure. It was also about restoring memory," Alpin said. "When people came here with flowers, incense and offerings, you could see that it was much more than a ritual. It was reconnecting with the land where our story began." Once a thriving Chinese settlement, Achipur now is a mere community landmark. Yet during the Chinese New Year period, the village briefly becomes what community members often call a "temporary Chinatown", as families gather to honour their ancestors and Achew's legacy. However, the occasion was also a reminder of the community's decline in Kolkata. Once estimated at nearly 1 lakh in the 1960s and 1970s, the community has dwindled to a few thousand. Today, the temple's daily upkeep is looked after by Faruqul Haque, whose family has been associated with the site for seven generations.