The first’s days when I arrived at Vancouver I was amazed of the multiculturalism of this city. If you take a walk around Downtown you will heard a lot of different languages even in the same street. I really love to meet new people and learn about the differences, I think is essential to understand the world we are living in and make us better people! There was something that specially caught my attention! There is large population of Chinese people in the city in general! And what do you think about Chinatown? It´s not just a district! It´s the real China!
Maybe you´ve heard someone called our beautiful Vancouver, Hongcouver! How is that possible?
Chinese population is more than the ten per cent of the total population of the whole Vancouver. Richmond has the most concentrated number of Chinese people in North America! More than the 40 % of the population has Chinese origin. Can you believe it?
In 1958 is when the large Chinese immigration was produced due to the arrival of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush .From that moment settlements of Chinese grew in Victoria and Vancouver. In the 1880, the Canadian Pacific Railway was built with Chinese labour. All this Chinese population started to establish Chinatowns in different cities
Have you already been in the Chinese Garden? It was the first garden of its kind ever built outside of China, and almost all the materials were brought from China.
And what about The China Gate? It was donated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China for the Expo 86 world’s fair. After 20 years it was rebuilt and renovated!
Do you know when the New Chinese Year start? It start the first solar term in their calendar which separates the winter season and the begging of the spring, so that´s why it´s also known as “Spring Festival”. Every year in late January or February there is a huge parade to celebrate it with thousands of performers and spectators.
This is just a little information about Chinatown, but we have the possibility to learn more about this interesting culture without leaving Vancouver! Definitely Vancouver, Raincouver or Hongcouver rocks!
Cheers,
Irene
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