FEATURES
WINDOWS TO THE PAST:
Building Up
HISTORIC CHINATOWN W R I T T E N BY K E L LY C H I A
on Pender Street, the CBA bu in Chinatown with recogniza Chinese eaves, recessed balc parapet (a barrier that starts a
The CBA was an important u services and provided crucia and communal needs of the community in Chinatown. Growing up, my fondest memories of Chinatown were walking through the iconic Millenium Gate that greets every visitor and seeing the dancing lions parading around red street lights every Lunar New Year. I also think back to the bakeries I would go to with my parents. We would come home with soft steamed pork buns and flaky pineapple buns. It’s only in recent years I’ve grown more appreciative of the history of Chinatown and the placemaking efforts of Chinese Canadians to make it such an iconic part of Vancouver. The buildings that make up Chinatown, some of which have existed proudly since the 1800s, reflect the strength of the neighbourhood and the community, offering a glimpse into its history of resistance and resilience. A Brief History of Chinatown in the 1800s Though Chinese immigration to BC started in the 1850s as part of the Gold Rush, the history of permanent settlement in what is now known as Chinatown dates largely back to the late 1800s. This coincided with the influx of the approximately 17,000 Chinese migrants arriving to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Though Chinese migrants made up the majority of the railway worker crew by the end of construction, none of them were in the historic photograph capturing the railway’s completion. It was clear the BC government only employed them as cheap labour, with hundreds dying through this work. They were given the most dangerous tasks, worked in harsh conditions, and were paid $1.00 a day while paying for food and gear out of pocket. Comparatively, white workers made $1.50 to $2.50 and were provided food and equipment. Additionally, due to racism and economic segregation, they were forced to self-segregate in the area which eventually became Chinatown. After the CPR’s completion in 1885, the federal government no longer needed this labour force and enacted the Head Tax in an attempt to restrict Chinese immigration. This fee required every Chinese person immigrating to Canada to pay $50.00 (approximately $1,240.00 today). That fee increased exponentially to $500 in 1903 (approximately $12,408.00 in 2022). Despite this, more than 90,000 Chinese immigrants entered Canada between 1885 and 1923. By 1901, Vancouver’s Chinatown had a population of around 2,900 people. Then, the government passed a new Chinese Immigration Act in 1923, completely banning Chinese migrants from entering Canada and leaving many unable to bring their families over. In a Canada Museum
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PHOTO: Xicotencatl / Wikimedia Commons
for Human Rights interview, the grandson of a Chinese migrant, Dr. Henry Yu, noted the act made it nearly impossible for most men to marry and have grandkids, and many would die alone. These policies resulted in the population going from 45,000 in 1923 to a little over 20,000 by 1947, when the act was finally repealed. Chinese people faced segregation in places like swimming pools, movie theatres, classrooms, and were excluded from voting. Their efforts to build a community in Chinatown faced constant threats, most notably in 1907, when thousands of white settlers rioted through Chinatown and Powell Street, destroying businesses and homes of Chinese and Japanese migrants. Looking into the history of the buildings in Chinatown show the efforts of Chinese Canadians to unify their growing communities, in spite of the discrimination they faced.
They helped establish burial communities, provided som workers who were laid off, b and established a Chinese Pu
The clinic, which would later Mount Saint Joseph Hospital free medical services when t other medical establishments
In addition to providing servic active, advocating against the Chinese Immigration Act was the restrictions remained in p relax them, finally allowing m to bring their families to the c for Chinese Canadians to gain a fight that was successful.
Wing Sang Building
Movements to Revitalize an The oldest building in Chinatown — the Wing Sang building — was constructed in 1889 by Yip Sang, an immigrant from Guangdong. Yip Sang is often recognized today for being a formidable community leader in the then-budding Chinatown. Hired by the CPR as a bookkeeper, timekeeper, and paymaster for the Chinese railway workers, Yip went on to establish his own business — the extraordinarily successful Wing Sang Company. The import/export company, founded in 1888, opened a two-storey office on Pender Street which would eventually become the Wing Sang building. Beyond his business acumen, Yip helped build a number of social institutions. In 1902, he established Aiguo Xuetang, a school for his and other Chinese children. It provided a safe space in which students had proper access to education and could learn both English and Chinese. This, along with similar schools established by others, were likely a response to the racism Chinese students faced in the BC school system from additional entrance barriers to outright segregation. The Wing Sang building remained in Yip’s family until 2004, when it was bought by Bob Rennie, a real estate marketer, with the intent to restore and preserve it. For the legacy and community it represents, the Wing Sang building will be donated as the home of the Chinese Canadian Museum in 2023.
By the time the anti-immigra 1956, large historic parts of C faced threats of demolition fo Hogan’s Alley, a historically B Strathcona, was destroyed.
The 1950s to 1970s thus saw making efforts to revitalise th entrepreneurs made new inv Chinatown’s value as a cultu recognized with it being dee 1971. Groups like the Strathc Tenants Association fought t areas against threats of dem
In 1979, the Chinatown Histo Committee funded Chinesestreet lamps and paved cross cultural value of the neighbo
This revitalization marked a n Chinatown focused on drawin for their social scene through Foo’s Ho Ho Restaurant
One of the major attractions were the neon signs that dec with a neon bowl and chops stood out to many visitors.
Chinese Benevolent Association Building Another key building Yip helped establish was the Chinese Benevolent Association (CBA). Built in 1910
It was built in the Sun Ah Ho commissioned by Chinatown Loo wanted to invest in real e
