Vancouver’s Chinatown is not precisely what I would describe as ‘pretty.’ Starting at the corner of Hastings and Main Street, one of the poorest zones in the city, the neighborhood is not a tidy one, and its old historic buildings are way from resembling the state-of-the-art condos just a couple kilometers away by the waterfront. Yet, the colorful chaos of its streets creates an inviting atmosphere, driving curious tourists to its wacky souvenir stores and delicious restaurants while encouraging them to learn more about the Chinese and Asian Immigrant communities in Canada.
Chinatown came to be thanks to various waves of immigrants coming from China during the 19th Century. The Goldrush, first in California and then the Klondike, attracted prospectors searching for gold. Additionally, the development of the Canadian Pacific Railway demanded quick and cheap labor, resulting in more than 2000 Chinese individuals settling in Vancouver.
Like most immigrant groups, these newcomers were victims of discrimination in their new Canadian home. Luckily, despite many attempts from the government to ban Chinese and other Asian immigrants from the province, Vancouver’s Chinatown grew and flourished, becoming the largest in Canada.
While most Chinese today live in the nearby city of Richmond, Chinatown is still one of Vancouver’s most diverse areas. Apart from Mandarin and Cantonese, it is common to hear people conducting their business in Korean, Spanish, and Tagalog and to meet its indigenous and Southeast Asian residents. Being a lower-income neighborhood, it is also not unusual to witness the high amount of drug addiction that affects Vancouver and encounter the city’s more eclectic characters. However, the Historic Chinatown area is more than safe to walk as a tourist.
Personally, my favorite place here is the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, as its architecture and trees make it a beautiful place to visit any time of the year. Whether it’s cherry blossom season or the beginning of the fall, the landscape here is one-of-a-kind. Outside, the smell of dry herbs and dry seafood and the view of the traditional Chinese grocery stores, clothing stores, and apothecaries make Chinatown unique, succeeding at taking you out of the routine of the less colorful, more organized streets of Vancouver.
Under Mountains in the Moon Souvenirs
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