Vancouver Chinatown (溫哥华唐人街) Walking Tour

Vancouver (Alaska Pre Cruise) . 2012 . September 14

This post is part of our Alaska Pre and Post Cruise Report and follow-up of our popular Alaska cruise series. Do check out our Alaska Cruise story too if this is your first time here! :)

After our early morning flight from San Francisco to Vancouver on United Airlines and checking in at Days Inn Vancouver Downtown, we wasted no time as we began exploring Vancouver before embarking on our Alaska cruise the next day.

The first stop for our afternoon was Vancouver Chinatown (溫哥华唐人街)on the eastern side of downtown Vancouver, which is North America’s third largest Chinatown by population, after those in San Francisco and New York.

The roots of Vancouver Chinatown started with early Chinese immigrants who came to work on British Columbia’s railroads and the mines in the late 1800s. As the immigrants settled down, this neighbourhood grew rapidly into a community with traditional chinese restaurants, markets, temples, gardens and a booming business district. Today, Vancouver Chinatown is in the midst of a transition as trendy bars and restaurants began to take over some of the historic spaces.

Explore Sights of Chinatown

Millennium Gate at Vancouver Chinatown. This iconic gate was constructed at the turn of the millennium to represent Chinatown's "Journey through Time," past and present.

Chinatown is bordered by Hastings to the North, Taylor St. to the west, Georgia to the south, and Gore St. to the east. The main streets in the Chinatown area are Main, Pender, and Keefer Streets.

Columbia Street in Chinatown. We took some general shots of the streets as we stroll in the neighbourhood.

Mr Coffee among the traditional Chinese shops. 

The Chinatown in Vancouver is a relative easy place to explore. If you are lost though, you might want to refer to the map near the information center for directions.

...or find some attractions to visit while you were there...

... and admire this beautiful painting on a building facade..isn't it beautiful?

Visit the Chinese Traditional Shop and Market

We went into a shop selling chinese hand made crafts and souvenirs for a quick escape from the afternoon sun and found some interesting stuffs.

They even sell White Rabbit candy, a favourite sweet when we were young...those were the days..hee hee..

You may also wander around Chinatown’s traditional markets with an extensive range of exotic produce, meats, herbs and dried goods. Most of these shops also operate as alternative pharmacies, with chinese physicians prescribing traditional Chinese medicines.

Take a stroll in Dr Sun Yet-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

While you are at Chinatown, you might want to pay a visit to the Dr Sun Yet-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, which is the first garden in the Ming Dynasty style ever built outside of China. Opened in 1986, this ornate landscape of jade-colored ponds, stone pathways and traditional tings and halls was built by 52 master craftsmen from Suzhou China with precise joinery and without the use of nails, screws or glue.

Entrance to the garden is at the lane off Carrall St. between Pender St. and Keefer St. Look out for the red carpet and 2 hanging red lanterns flanking its entrance.

Today, the Dr Sun Yet-Sen Classical Chinese Garden provides a refuge of tranquility from the busy city with a comprehensive program of cultural and musical events, as well as seasonal celebrations throughout the year. The garden has been rated best city garden by a National Geographic book in 2011 and was named "Garden of the Year" by the Canadian Garden Tourism Council in 2012.

Entrance to this garden is however not free with an admission price of CAD $14 (correct as of 6 Jul 2013). If you are a bit tight with your travel expenditure like we were, you might want to pay a visit to the free Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park next to it. Serene and beautifully landscaped, covered walkways make it easy to enjoy the natural beauty, even if it's raining.

Once you have finished your stroll in the park, you might be pleased to find the Terra Cotta Warriors Silk Road Art & Gift Shop nestled among the trees.

Replica Terra Cotta Warriors in the Gift Shop.

In fact, they were so popular in Vancouver that we saw them in the streets as well.

 We were particularly attracted by this pair of chinese dolls in the shop. Isn't them nice?

How can a visit to Chinatown without a taste of its local food? Using our tripadvisor app, we found a highly rated Chinese bakery and restaurant for a dim sum afternoon tea. Do stay tuned for our next post as we review this fabulous restaurant.

Getting to Vancouver Chinatown

You can easily take the SkyTrain to the Stadium-Chinatown Station and walk east on Keefer St. For drivers, parking is easy in Chinatown. Most streets have metered parking, and there are several large, pay-parking lots in accessible locations.

Skytrain System Map (Source: http://www.translink.ca)

If you are staying in Days Inn Downtown Vancouver like we did, you can take the skytrain on either the Expo Line or Millenium Line from the Waterfront Station which is within walking distance from the hotel. The Stadium-Chinatown Station is 3 stops away from the Waterfront Station.

Do stay tuned as we continue our next post with a review of the New Town Bakery & Restaurant at Chinatown!

This post is part of our Alaska Pre and Post Cruise Report and follow-up of our popular Alaska cruise series. Do check out our Alaska Cruise story too if this is your first time here! :)

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