This article explores the ways in which Tibetans have carved out an alternative space in downtown Chengdu and transformed it into a Tibetan place. There is a strong connection in peoples’ minds that people and places belong together, and the particular neighbourhood studied in this article, which is both a real and imagined place, has evolved into a powerful symbol of the Tibetans. The article introduces two different place-making processes; first the historical process of migration and movement into this location, and secondly the continuous process of attaching meaning to the location through social practices and narrative activities.