You mostly see copper-skinned Polynesians in flowery shirts on the streets, but as soon as you step into a store, a restaurant or a hotel, you are generally greeted by the smiling face of a tawny-skinned, soft-featured Chinese.
街上放眼所見的雖然多是古銅皮膚、身穿花衫的玻里尼西亞人，進入商店、餐廳、旅館等消費場所，笑臉相迎的卻大半是黃皮膚、輪廓較淺的華人。大溪地主要物資都賴進口，貿易經營更是華人的拿手本事，以汽車來說，無論是 BENZ、BMW 或福特汽車的總經銷，都是華商。