China is home to one of the oldest continuous civilizations on earth and for much of its history has lived isolated or semi-separatedly from the rest of the world.

Home to many exotic goods, it has long been a trading nation and it was only in the 19th century that it needed to send its citizens abroad to work. This migration formed the Chinese Diaspora. While some were free settlers seeking wealth abroad others were indentured workers popular with the former European powers as cheap labour after the end of slavery .

Chinese diaspora communities formed in Asia where the biggest population is found as well as in North and South America, Britain and Australia. Although the Chinese diaspora is relatively small compared to the population of the mother country, it remains one of the most distinctive in the world today with a powerful presence particularly through its cuisine, which had been exported across the globe.