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A colourful illustrated history of the buildings in Vancouver's Chinatown, celebrating the richness, diversity, and vibrancy of the Chinese community.
Buildings are more than just bricks and mortar; they are keepers of secrets and history. With more than forty vibrant illustrations, writeups on the buildings, interviews with community members, and select archival photographs, “Chinatown Vancouver” celebrates the invaluable contributions of the Chinese to Canada. The colourful illustrations portray Chinatown during its thriving days as a commercial hub when iconic businesses such as Cathay Importers, Ho Inn Restaurant, Ming Wo Cookware, and Ho Ho Restaurant were pillars in the community.
Early Chinese settlers in Vancouver demonstrated immense resilience and perseverance in creating a self-sustaining safety net to weather racial hostility, discrimination, and segregation from broader Canadian society. The protection of cultural sites like Chinatown helps us understand our connection to place, the past, and the future. In showcasing its unique architecture, Chinatown Vancouver honours the neighbourhood as an irreplaceable living heritage site and cultural asset for all Canadians.
• First settled in the 1880s, Vancouver's Chinatown is one of the oldest and largest in Canada.
• The Province of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver have applied for the neighbourhood to become the first Chinatown in the world to obtain a UNESCO world heritage site designation.
• Chinatown serves as a site of living heritage, where its preservation helps society honour and celebrate cultural traditions, and language.
Buildings are more than just bricks and mortar; they are keepers of secrets and history. With more than forty vibrant illustrations, writeups on the buildings, interviews with community members, and select archival photographs, “Chinatown Vancouver” celebrates the invaluable contributions of the Chinese to Canada. The colourful illustrations portray Chinatown during its thriving days as a commercial hub when iconic businesses such as Cathay Importers, Ho Inn Restaurant, Ming Wo Cookware, and Ho Ho Restaurant were pillars in the community.
Early Chinese settlers in Vancouver demonstrated immense resilience and perseverance in creating a self-sustaining safety net to weather racial hostility, discrimination, and segregation from broader Canadian society. The protection of cultural sites like Chinatown helps us understand our connection to place, the past, and the future. In showcasing its unique architecture, Chinatown Vancouver honours the neighbourhood as an irreplaceable living heritage site and cultural asset for all Canadians.
• First settled in the 1880s, Vancouver's Chinatown is one of the oldest and largest in Canada.
• The Province of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver have applied for the neighbourhood to become the first Chinatown in the world to obtain a UNESCO world heritage site designation.
• Chinatown serves as a site of living heritage, where its preservation helps society honour and celebrate cultural traditions, and language.