First developed in the late 19th century, it is now one of the largest Chinatowns in North America and one of several major Chinese-Canadian communities in the Greater Toronto Area.
There are approximately six Chinatowns in Greater Toronto, including in the cities of Markham and Mississauga.
Historically, Toronto's Chinatown has been represented by immigrants and families from southern China and Hong Kong.
Since the transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997, immigrants from mainland China have greatly exceeded those from Hong Kong.
However, at present Cantonese remains the primary language used by businesses and restaurants in Chinatown.
The Chinese immigrant population now consists of distinct subgroups: while some Vietnamese Chinese, who generally arrived as impoverished refugees, continue to reside in old Chinatown, others now live in suburban Mississauga; the wealthy Hong Kong Chinese now tend to settle in Markham and Richmond Hill.
Among new immigrants, those who settle in the historic Chinatown tend to be Mainland Chinese
