Of all the foreign origins residing in Calcutta, the Chinese are the only ones to remain most prosperous. They relatively were late to arrive. The advent of Chinese in Calcutta was through the form of nomad businesspersons, peripatetic monks or scholars and curious travelers. The first Chinese settler in Calcutta was Young Atchew. He came only about 1780. In the ruling period of Warren Hastings, he tried to setup one sugar mill but through the wear and tear of time he lost the command of his business mainly due to the paucity of funds and inadequate supply of skilled labours. Ultimately he died broken hearted in the year 1783. Of his associates and workmen remaining settled in Calcutta and even the number was increased when some sailors from a Chinese ship were deserted from their service. Almost every subsequent decade brought new faces from China. With every fresh influx, the community renewed its cultural links with “Mother China” and thus preserves its ethnic integrity. During the Second World War and Mao's revolution there were so many migrants to India and most of them settled in Calcutta. Right now the estimated Chinese in Calcutta is nearly about 20,000. As because they have kept their ethnic integrity, they have maintained their social paradigm inn the field of their business. For example the "HAKKA", maintained the business of  tannery and shoemaking. The “Cantonese” took to carpentry and restaurant keeping. The “HUPEY” became dentist. Laundries have been the strong hold of the “SHANGHAI” groups. In true sense the community has sustained its recreation of a little China on Calcuttans soil. The contribution of the Chinese community is the food market in China town, in fact the Calcuttans have grown up their fetish for the delicious cuisine made by the Chinese Cook.

Of the foreign communities, the Chinese are the only one to prosper in Calcutta. The Chinese made an entry into the city during late eighteenth century. By the mid 19^th century they established themselves as skilled industrious and clean people. They are estimated to be about 20,000 in numbers. The greater parts are “Hakka”, the traditional tanners and shoemakers, followed by the carpenters and restaurant-keepers and the dentists.

They have managed to create a little china in Indian soil with traditional temples, dragon architecture and festoons in Chinese, with the rustle of real silk and the aroma of Chinese food. The Chinese have clustered in china town in central Calcutta and Tangra in east Calcutta, which is the tannery zone.

They have ventured not only in leather industry, but also in carpentry, dentistry, hairdressing, restaurants pharmaceutical and foods making. Two Chinese dailies are regularly published from Calcutta. Festivals are celebrated with the gaiety of china town everywhere. The Chinese New Year in February, rice pudding festival, the moon festival etc. are their major festivals. The ceremonial red candles, joss sticks, the ‘san chu’ or whole pig are a perfect accompaniment of festivities.