Street art tells story of Liverpool Chinatown

 Stunning street art created in Liverpool's Chinatown has captured major events in the life of what is one of Europe's oldest Chinese communities.
A line of terraced houses forms the backdrop to a unique piece of public art reflecting what is an important part of the city's history.
The project, called 'Opera for Chinatown', shows how British born missionary Gladys Alyward, who once lived in Chinatown's 'main street' Nelson Street, worked in China and saved hundreds of Chinese children from Japanese invaders.
The daring escape story was captured in the 1958 film The Inn of Sixth Happiness, starring screen legend Ingrid Bergman.
Much of the film was shot in mountainous North Wales with young children from Liverpool's Chinatown playing the youngsters escaping for their lives from Japanese invaders in the 1930s.
Another picture captures the way many Chinese merchant sailors were forcibly repatriated to China from Liverpool at the end of the World War Two, despite their heroic efforts in bringing food and supplies to the port, risking their lives at the hands of German U-boats.
The giant pictures have been installed on houses next door to the Wah Sing Chinese School in Liverpool's Duke Street.
The buildings have been derelict for many years but the properties have now been given a new lease of life.
The artwork " Opera for Chinatown" - has been created as part of a year-long project to create a digital archive of oral histories and family photographs of the Chinese community by artists and oral historians John Campbell and Moira Kenny.
The project is funded by UK's Heritage Lottery Fund with Liverpool city council providing additional funding. The scheme adds interest to Chinatown during the current two-month International Festival for Business which is attracting thousands of visitors to Liverpool.
Discussions are also taking place that could see the Cantonese Opera Company heading to Liverpool to perform 'Opera for Chinatown' live in the city.
The centrepiece of 'Opera for Chinatown' features a photograph of Liverpool opera singer Grace Liu in a beautiful costume.
Moira Kenny commented: "Grace performs internationally with the Cantonese Opera. We are aiming to write an opera based on the art work on the buildings and we are in talks with the Cantonese Opera to bring the group over to Liverpool next year for a special performance."