Chinatown Melbourne

Chinatown is a distinctive and well known area of Melbourne which dates back to the goldrush days of the 1850s. Melbourne’s Chinatown is the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the western world. This painting, based on a series of photographs that I took after enjoying Yum Cha at a nearby restaurant in Little Bourke Street Melbourne, is one of my Melbourne icon series. The marble lion is one of two standing as sentries to the entrance of the Chinese Museum. They were a gift from the city of Tianjin, in recognition of Melbourne as its sister city.  This male lion is depicted playing with a ball representing the world..  The female lion (not included here) is shown with a cub representing family.  Together with the red banner and lanterns, they are emblematic of Chinese culture.