Vancouver’s Historic Chinatown Storytelling Centre Opens
KENNETH CHAN/DAILY HIVE
On November 6, 2021, Vancouver’s one-of-a-kind Chinatown storytelling centre opened its door to visitors. The intention behind the establishment of Vancouver’s Chinatown storytelling centre is to highlight Chinese culture and share China’s historical influences in Canada.
The centre is located at East Pender street, a four minute walk from Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden.
The storytelling centre is a cultural space that is unique and meaningful to not only Vancouver’s Chinese community, but to the entirety of the city. It features art, photos, and recordings of Chinese culture developed in Canada and displaces documents on the early Chinese immigrants and their stories.
The exhibition is divided into two parts: the permanent exhibit; and the special exhibit. The permanent exhibit is called BMO Hall which presents significant events and milestones for Canada’s Chinese community starting from the 19th century.
The BMO Hall voices the stories of early Chinese immigrants, highlighting the barriers of racism and discrimination that they faced. Inside the exhibit there is a theater and a photo studio honoring the memory of Yucho Chow, who opened the first studio in 1906 Chinatown. Here, visitors are able to take photos and send virtual postcards. They are given the opportunity to gain knowledge on Chinese Canadian history by watching archival films, in-house productions, and short films in the theater space.
The special exhibit is designed to emphasize and celebrate the significant events in Chinese Canadian history. The exhibit is called “Sharing Our Firsts’’ and is presented by the Bank of Montreal, significant to the Chinese community as the very first financial institution that provided service in Chinatown and elected the first Asian manager.
Vancouver’s Chinatown Storytelling Centre’s most recent events included “Behind the covers of Chinatown news - Then and Now” and “Meet Paul Yee, Chinatown’s award-winning author.”
A meaningful aspect of the centre is that Vancouver citizens of Chinese descent can submit their own stories of when they experienced hardships due to cultural differences or of how they have adjusted to Canadian society. The center’s interactive nature promotes diversity, emphasizes shared history, and enriches Vancouver’s vibrant cultures. The ultimate goal of the opening of Vancouver’s Chinatown storytelling centre is to educate Vancouver’s citizens on Chinese-Canadian history and foster a more inclusive society.