Chinatown, Vancouver

Fondest memory: Vancouver's historic Chinatown has preserved some unique, old buildings built back in the late 1800's and early 1900's when Chinatown was founded. A walking tour in Chinatown to see these buildings was excellent. As an example, in this photo, you can see an old building (green one) which was built in 1909. The ground level was once a Chinese hospital but the building belongs to the Chinese Benevolent Association which was established in 1895.

Other interesting buildings to see include the Chin Wing Chun Society building, Kuomintang Building, and the Sam Kee Building which claims to be the world's narrowest building at only 6 feet in depth.

Fondest memory: This mural, called the "Century's Winds of Change", is located just behind Vancouver Chinatown's Millennium Gate on Pender Street in a parking lot. This 7m x 14m wall mural depicts the historical era of Chinese in Canada; spanning over 100 years, from 1885 to present. It celebrates the struggle, settlement and integration of Canadian Chinese in Canada. Worth a see!

Fondest memory: The Chinese Cultural Center in Vancouver's Chinatown has a museum which presents the history of Chinese Canadians and traditional Chinese arts. It also has a museum dedicated to the Chinese military. This museum is located on 555 Columbia Street adjacent to the Dr.Sun Yat-Sen Park.

Fondest memory: The Chinatown Memorial Square located on the 100 block of Keefer Street is marked by a special monument commemorating historic achievements of Chinese Canadians. The shape of the monument is like the Chinese character "zhong", denoting the Chinese. Also, there are two bronze statues of a railroad worker and a Chinese Canadian World War II soldier beside the character.