Author: Lois Liao
The EAST2046 Festival (16–24 August) concluded with a walking tour titled “When the Old Meets the New: Eastend Chinatown Walking Tour” in East London—a symbolic closing event that encapsulated the festival’s core themes. Designed as a contemplative journey through spaces shaped by migration, memory, and transformation, the tour reflected EAST2046’s commitment to imagining futures from East and Southeast Asian perspectives while honouring cultural heritage.
At its core, EAST2046 is an interdisciplinary platform exploring the intersection of technology, art, and community. In an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, the festival promotes a humanistic and socially conscious approach to innovation. Events were curated in a rhizomatic style—decentralised, collaborative, and rooted in solidarity—emphasising the importance of public-facing programming in shared urban spaces.
The walking tour was led by Dr Lois Liao (Festival Director and Cardiff University academic), Dr Alex Boyd (Founder of Intercultural Roots), and Eulan To (Director of ToandPartners). Dr Liao opened with a sociological and economic reflection on the shift from West End’s traditional Chinatown to East London’s emerging creative-based “Chinatown,” noting a generational transition from economic capital to cultural capital among Chinese entrepreneurs.
The walking tour explores the new ESEA cultural landmarks in East London
Eulan then guided the group using his Foldthe.world map, originally created for SXSW London, highlighting eight Chinese-owned businesses and the new cultural landmark, Eastend Chinatown. “There is a lesser-known history of London’s original Chinatown in Limehouse during the 1920s and recent developments, including the involvement of the Cheung clan and the upcoming Chinese embassy in East London”, Eulan said, “Today, a new generation of Hong Kong BNOs, Mainland students, and ESEA entrepreneurs are reclaiming and reimagining these spaces—blending heritage, aesthetics, and lived experience to shape a future rooted in cultural pride and creative agency.”
Part of the walking tour involves visiting local 'trendy' ESEA businesses and speaking to the owners
EAST2046 hopes to bridge between heritage and innovation, between community making and future thinking
Participants visited mapped independent ESEA businesses, spoke with owners, and heard their stories. The tour concluded at Shoreditch Park, where Dr Boyd led a contemporary Qigong session as the group faced the setting sun—symbolising East London’s rising vision.
Looking ahead, EAST2046 will contribute to the Eastend Chinatown by integrating DAO (Decentralised Autonomous Organisation) principles into community collaboration. Inspired by blockchain governance models, DAO offers a framework for transparent, participatory decision-making and resource sharing. The vision is that Eastend Chinatown aims to apply DAO logic to support local businesses, co-create cultural programming, and ensure that regenerated spaces remain accessible, inclusive, and community-led. By merging technological innovation with grassroots agency, both EAST2046 and the Eastend Chinatown envision a future where urban transformation is shaped not by top-down planning, but by collective intelligence and shared values.
For interviews, collaborations, images and accreditation, contact: contact@east2046.com
More information: www.east2046.com; Instagram: east2046_festival
More information on foldthe.world: foldthe.world
Photo credit: Qian Deng