Introduction

Paris has two Chinatowns — not one, but two. And behind the appearances, they are two culturally, gastronomically, and demographically distinct worlds. Choosing between the two for settling down means choosing between two radically different lifestyles. The 13th is Southeast Asian China: Cantonese, Teochew, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians. Belleville is Northern and Eastern China: Wenzhou, Shanghainese, Beijingers, Dongbei.

This guide provides you with the elements to make an informed decision. Rent, schools, restaurants, atmosphere, access to administrative services in Chinese: everything that truly matters in daily life.

The 13th: a bit of history

The Chinese neighborhood in the 13th, around Olympiades, Tolbiac, and Porte de Choisy, formed between 1975-1980. The first waves: refugees from South Vietnam, Cambodians fleeing Pol Pot, Laotians. Many were ethnically Chinese, speaking Cantonese or Teochew, and rebuilt a neighborhood where these languages are still the most heard in businesses today.

Today, the population of Chinese and Southeast Asian origin in the 13th is estimated at around 70,000, concentrated in the triangle of Place d'Italie / Avenue d'Ivry / Avenue de Choisy. It is the largest Asian neighborhood in Europe by area.

Economic particularity: a high density of multi-generational family businesses, restaurants run by the same families for 30-40 years, and the presence of Tang Frères (48 avenue d'Ivry) and Paris Store (rue Caillaux), true institutions where Asians from all over the Paris region come to do their weekend shopping.

Belleville: Northern China, newer, more dynamic

Belleville as a Chinese neighborhood is more recent: it was established between 1995 and 2010, mainly through immigration from the province of Wenzhou (Zhejiang), followed by Shanghainese, Dongbei (Heilongjiang), and more recently Beijingers. This population is different: more entrepreneurial, younger on average, speaking Mandarin (not Cantonese) as their first language.

Belleville spans 4 arrondissements simultaneously: 10th (Belleville-Buttes Chaumont), 11th (Couronnes-Ménilmontant), 19th (Pyrénées), 20th (Belleville-Pyrénées). It is less dense than the 13th in area, but more economically dynamic: new restaurants open an average of 3-4 per month, compared to 1 in the 13th.

Estimated population: around 30,000 Chinese and descendants, growing faster than in the 13th. The Wenzhou Bazar (boulevard de Belleville) plays the equivalent role of Tang Frères, but on a smaller scale.

Rent and real estate: the numbers

13th (Olympiades, Tolbiac, Place d'Italie):

• Studio for rent: €850-1,050/month all charges included in 2026
• T2: €1,250-1,600/month
• Old purchase: €9,200-10,800/m²
• New purchase (Bercy-Charenton): €11,500-13,000/m²

Belleville (10/11/19/20th depending on proximity):

• Studio: €750-950/month all charges included, more variable depending on the micro-neighborhood
• T2: €1,100-1,450/month
• Old purchase: €8,200-10,000/m² (the 20th remains more accessible)
• New purchase (rare in historic Belleville): €10,800-12,200/m²

Practical difference: at an equivalent budget, you will find more space in Belleville. Conversely, the 13th offers more modern buildings (the famous towers of Olympiades, architecturally unpopular but with elevators, caretakers, and reliable collective heating).

Restaurants: the best quality-price addresses

In the 13th (Southern cuisine):

• Lao Lane Xang (102 av. d'Ivry): Laotian, dish €14-19. Must-try Khao Piak Sen soup.
• Pho 14 (129 av. de Choisy): the most famous pho, queue mandatory on Sunday noon. €14 per bowl.
• Restaurant Likafo (10 av. de Choisy): authentic Cantonese dim sum, steam basket €6-10.
• Sinorama (135 av. de Choisy): Peking duck but predominantly Cantonese cuisine. Dishes €15-22.

In Belleville (Northern cuisine):

• Bao Quan (rue de Belleville): Dongbei dumplings, €8-12 for 12 dumplings.
• Hot Pot Belleville (boulevard de Belleville): Mongolian hot pot, €28-35/person with all-you-can-eat.
• Le Petit Cambodge (rue Bichat, more 10th but culturally Belleville): bo bun €14, Mee soup €13.
• Lao Wei (rue de Belleville): Shaanxi noodles (biáng biáng), €13-17.
• (boulevard de la Villette): whole Peking duck €65, for 4 people.

Schools, Chinese services in French

13th:

• Lycée Claude Monet (1 rue du Dr Magnan): excellent secondary school, international Chinese class
• École primaire Damesme: recognized bilingual Mandarin-French program
• Centre culturel chinois de Paris (1 boulevard de la Villette): Mandarin courses, calligraphy, martial arts. Mostly frequented by Cantonese and Vietnamese despite its name.
• Doctors speaking Cantonese: very high density in Olympiades. Dental offices, pediatrics, gynecology: everything exists in Cantonese or Teochew.

Belleville:

• Lycée Hélène Boucher: enhanced Mandarin classes
• École Tianbao (private associative school): weekend courses for Wenzhou children
• Mandarin-speaking doctors: high density on boulevard de Belleville and rue Bichat. Dr. Wang at Clinique Bichat is known for his consultations in Mandarin.
• Sino-French notaries: several offices on boulevard de la Villette speak Mandarin, essential for real estate purchases in mixed families.

Atmosphere, social life, events

13th: more bourgeois, quieter, ritualized community life. The Chinese New Year (parade on the first Sunday after the lunar New Year) traditionally starts from Place d'Italie and winds its way to Choisy. The parade gathers 200,000 spectators in 2025. Nightlife is almost nonexistent after 11 PM — it’s a family neighborhood.

Belleville: younger, rougher, more "alive". The Belleville lunar New Year parade (since 2014) attracts 50,000 people, more modest but warmer. Nightlife lasts until 2 AM in the bars of rue Denoyez and rue Sainte-Marthe, a unique Chinese-Arab-African artistic mix in Paris.

Neighborhoods to avoid at night: Porte de la Chapelle (areas of precariousness), northern Stalingrad (persistent drug addiction despite municipal efforts). Central Belleville and the 13th are safe, even at night.

For whom each neighborhood?

Choose the 13th if:

• You speak Cantonese or are from a Southern family
• You are looking for a family-friendly, quiet neighborhood to raise children
• You want the highest density of Chinese businesses (Tang Frères on weekends)
• You study at Tolbiac, Jussieu, or the BNF
• You prefer modern urban planning (Olympiades towers) over old

Choose Belleville if:

• You speak Mandarin (Wenzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Dongbei)
• You are looking for a dynamic, young, mixed neighborhood
• You are an entrepreneur or freelancer seeking a vibrant scene
• You study at Sciences Po, Sorbonne Nouvelle, art schools
• You prefer old Parisian (Haussmannian) to modern urban

In summary

• 13th = Southeast Asian, Cantonese, calm, family-oriented, more expensive
• Belleville = Northern Chinese, Mandarin, dynamic, young, slightly less expensive
• Tang Frères (48 av. d'Ivry) vs Wenzhou Bazar (boulevard de Belleville): two universes
• Restaurants: dim sum and pho in the 13th, Northern dumplings and hot pot in Belleville
• Nightlife: almost nonexistent in the 13th, very lively in Belleville

On Pionra

On Pionra, the Chinese community in France discusses exactly these questions every day: where to settle, where to find a specific product, which Mandarin-speaking notary. Join the conversation at /fr/communautes/cn or find the listed businesses at /fr/annuaire.

FAQ

Which neighborhood for someone who speaks neither Mandarin nor Cantonese but wants to be in the community?

Belleville. The 13th, despite its density, often operates in closed circles where Cantonese or Teochew is spoken among regulars. Belleville is more mixed, younger, and Mandarin is the lingua franca — thus more second-generation Chinese who speak French perfectly and facilitate integration.

Are there doctors who speak Mandarin and accept Social Security?

Yes, most are sector 1 contracted (Social Security rates reimbursed at 70%). On Doctolib, filter by "language spoken: Chinese". In Belleville, over 30 Mandarin-speaking general practitioners. In the 13th, even more, but mostly Cantonese.

Is the Tang Frères market really cheaper than Carrefour?

On Asian products (Jasmine rice, soy sauce, noodles, Asian vegetables), yes: 30-50% cheaper than Carrefour or Monoprix. On common products (pasta, milk, laundry detergent), it’s equivalent or slightly more expensive. At Tang Frères, stock up on Asian products and complete your shopping at a regular supermarket for the rest.

How to find an apartment from a Chinese landlord?

Many Chinese landlords rent to compatriots via WeChat (groups "巴黎租房 13区" and "巴黎租房 美丽城") rather than on LeBonCoin. It’s faster to enter the market, but be careful: no automatic legal guarantee, always demand a standard French lease and a contradictory inventory.

Is there a rising Chinese neighborhood in the suburbs?

Aubervilliers (93). Since 2010, avenue de la République and the area of the Marché des Quatre-Chemins have concentrated a significant Wenzhou community linked to wholesale trade (textiles, leather goods). Rents are 30-40% cheaper than Belleville, with direct metro line 7 to Paris. Consider it if you are looking for more space for the same budget.