Chinese people in Denmark
Encyclopedia
Chinese people in Denmark form one of the smaller and less-studied Chinese diaspora communities of Europe.
who came to the famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park in 1902 as travelling performers on contracts for the summer. Though the initial understanding was that they would return to China after their work had ended, half found other employment at the end of their contracts, or became romantically involved with Danish girls, and thus chose to settle down in Denmark. Similar forms of "coincidental arrival" would continue over the next few decades: some sailors jumped ship in Denmark or became stranded there during the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War
and later World War I
, a few itinerant soapstone traders arrived from Qingtian, Zhejiang
and ended up staying in the country, and other similar cases. By 1949, a total of 43 Chinese are believed to have become immigrants in Denmark; most of these were male, and among them were just four women married to Danish men. Early immigrants maintained few community links to each other or to their ancestral land, and thus were quickly assimilated into Danish society. After the 1949 establishment of the People's Republic of China
, many deliberately cut off their contacts with relatives in China in fear that those relatives might suffer persecution for having foreign contacts.
Up until the 1970s, immigration from China remained almost non-existent, even as growth in the Danish economy created labour shortages and immigrants from other parts of the world flowed into the country. Police statistics showed 113 people from China living in Denmark as of 1969, and one researcher estimates perhaps 60 more from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. The numbers of migrants did not reach a significant level until the 1980s and 1990s, just as Danish immigration laws were becoming more strict. By 1996, there were 3,467 migrants/descendants of migrants from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. These years were also marked by a shift in the gender balance of migrants, with increasing numbers of women.
Asylum seekers from the People's Republic of China are not prevalent among Chinese migrants to Denmark, despite the fact that Denmark has one of Europe's lowest rejection rates for asylum claims; such migrants prefer other countries in Southern, Central, or Eastern Europe, due to the better opportunities for work there. This contradicts claims that Chinese migrants are attracted by Denmark's generous social welfare benefits.
Statistics Denmark
showed 9,799 people born in China and 448 born in Taiwan living in Denmark .
business. Copenhagen's first Chinese restaurant, the China House, was opened by a Chinese migrant from the Netherlands who had remigrated to Denmark; four more restaurants opened up in the 1950s, and five more in the 1960s. The format of restaurants changed in the 1970s, with more grill bars. Other Chinese, even if not directly involved in the restaurant trade, were somehow involved with food in the ethnic economy; for example, the first ethnic Chinese graduate of a Danish university opened a soy sauce factory in 1957. However, the restaurant sector began to reach saturation in the 1980s; new migrants thus set up businesses in other sectors, including travel agencies, traditional Chinese medicine
clinics, and import-export firms.
was a major draw for Chinese tourists to come to Denmark, as he is a major icon of Danish culture in China; however, tourists who came at that time were disappointed to find little attention devoted to him in Copenhagen. As a result of feedback from Chinese tourists, a new museum devoted to him was opened at the town hall square.
The desire by tourism authorities to attract Chinese tourists conflicts with the fears from other government bureaux and society at large that tourism from China will become an inlet for increasing numbers of illegal immigrants. Many Chinese travel agencies require a RMB
50,000 deposit from prospective tourists to Denmark, in order to protect themselves against the penalties which may be assessed against them by the Danish government if tourists they bring to the country do not depart on time. The influx of Chinese tourists has also caused conflicts with other sectors of society, especially with regards to sex tourism
; many male Chinese tourists seek out strip clubs in hopes of seeing tall blonde performers.
Migration history
The earliest Chinese migrants in Denmark are believed to have been 34 men from GuangdongGuangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
who came to the famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park in 1902 as travelling performers on contracts for the summer. Though the initial understanding was that they would return to China after their work had ended, half found other employment at the end of their contracts, or became romantically involved with Danish girls, and thus chose to settle down in Denmark. Similar forms of "coincidental arrival" would continue over the next few decades: some sailors jumped ship in Denmark or became stranded there during the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
and later World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a few itinerant soapstone traders arrived from Qingtian, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
and ended up staying in the country, and other similar cases. By 1949, a total of 43 Chinese are believed to have become immigrants in Denmark; most of these were male, and among them were just four women married to Danish men. Early immigrants maintained few community links to each other or to their ancestral land, and thus were quickly assimilated into Danish society. After the 1949 establishment of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, many deliberately cut off their contacts with relatives in China in fear that those relatives might suffer persecution for having foreign contacts.
Up until the 1970s, immigration from China remained almost non-existent, even as growth in the Danish economy created labour shortages and immigrants from other parts of the world flowed into the country. Police statistics showed 113 people from China living in Denmark as of 1969, and one researcher estimates perhaps 60 more from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. The numbers of migrants did not reach a significant level until the 1980s and 1990s, just as Danish immigration laws were becoming more strict. By 1996, there were 3,467 migrants/descendants of migrants from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. These years were also marked by a shift in the gender balance of migrants, with increasing numbers of women.
Asylum seekers from the People's Republic of China are not prevalent among Chinese migrants to Denmark, despite the fact that Denmark has one of Europe's lowest rejection rates for asylum claims; such migrants prefer other countries in Southern, Central, or Eastern Europe, due to the better opportunities for work there. This contradicts claims that Chinese migrants are attracted by Denmark's generous social welfare benefits.
Statistics Denmark
Statistics Denmark
Statistics Denmark is a Danish governmental organization under the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs. The organization is responsible for creating statistics on the Danish society, for example employment statistics, trade balance, and demographics....
showed 9,799 people born in China and 448 born in Taiwan living in Denmark .
Business and employment
Though early Chinese migrants consisted largely of travelling artists and merchants, after World War II, migrants concentrated increasingly in the Chinese restaurantChinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
business. Copenhagen's first Chinese restaurant, the China House, was opened by a Chinese migrant from the Netherlands who had remigrated to Denmark; four more restaurants opened up in the 1950s, and five more in the 1960s. The format of restaurants changed in the 1970s, with more grill bars. Other Chinese, even if not directly involved in the restaurant trade, were somehow involved with food in the ethnic economy; for example, the first ethnic Chinese graduate of a Danish university opened a soy sauce factory in 1957. However, the restaurant sector began to reach saturation in the 1980s; new migrants thus set up businesses in other sectors, including travel agencies, traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
clinics, and import-export firms.
Tourism
In 2004, 60,000 Chinese tourists visited Denmark; this number is at least projected to quadruple by 2020. The 200th anniversary of the birth of Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
was a major draw for Chinese tourists to come to Denmark, as he is a major icon of Danish culture in China; however, tourists who came at that time were disappointed to find little attention devoted to him in Copenhagen. As a result of feedback from Chinese tourists, a new museum devoted to him was opened at the town hall square.
The desire by tourism authorities to attract Chinese tourists conflicts with the fears from other government bureaux and society at large that tourism from China will become an inlet for increasing numbers of illegal immigrants. Many Chinese travel agencies require a RMB
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
50,000 deposit from prospective tourists to Denmark, in order to protect themselves against the penalties which may be assessed against them by the Danish government if tourists they bring to the country do not depart on time. The influx of Chinese tourists has also caused conflicts with other sectors of society, especially with regards to sex tourism
Sex tourism
Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary...
; many male Chinese tourists seek out strip clubs in hopes of seeing tall blonde performers.