Video: 4 reasons why you should care about Vancouver's Chinatown

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      Vancouver's Chinatown is home to more than 900 seniors of Chinese descent. There's also an ongoing battle over the preservation of heritage buildings in the historic neighbourhood.

      These are two of the reasons why some of UBC professor Henry Yu's history students created the video above.

      It points out why people shouldn't conclude that Chinatown has become passé with the rise of a large population of Chinese descent in Richmond.

      The video was directed by Austin Liu, Dominique Bautista, Nicole So, Rafael Fuentes, and Tony Wan. The writers were Nicole So, Austin Liu and Dominique Bautista. Animations came courtesy of Rafael Fuentes and it was narrated by Dominique Bautista. The editor was Tony Wan.

      Comments

      6 Comments

      Lola Massey

      Jan 14, 2015 at 6:47pm

      I love Chinatown because New Town bakery is my favourite restaurant - I would never be able to try chicken feet anywhere else! I go there with my Italian grandma and we love it!!!

      Lola, aged 10

      Martin Dunphy

      Jan 14, 2015 at 9:13pm

      Lola:

      Thank you very much for your comment. I have heard that New Town is a very good bakery, but I have never tried chicken feet.
      However, if a 10-year-old can try them and like them, maybe I will too!

      Shirley

      Jan 15, 2015 at 2:14pm

      Thanks for the video, it is cute and interesting. I would like to add more good reasons to save Vancouver's Chinatown besides good, affordable food/restaurants. It is a good place for shopping for things you can't get in the big box malls at a reasonable price, including fashion pieces and fresh vegetables and meats at a good price. This part of Vancouver is ripe with a historical artifacts all over the place if you look for it on the face of the sidewalks, in the details of the buildings (e.g., motifs on the window frames, etc.), and the layout of streets and alleys. Vancouver's Chinatown is itself a jewel of Vancouver. Let's do everything we can to save it for future generations to enjoy, not bulldoze over it with "modern" condos and businesses that have no interest in preserving the architectural and historical character of Chinatown.

      Marian

      Jan 15, 2015 at 5:12pm

      I don't live in Vancouver but I do visit Vancouver almost every month for the past 40 years. Everytime I visit Vancouver I do visit Chinatown. I love the food and especially I do my clothes shopping in Chinatown. They fit me perfectly. Vancouver Chinatown needs to stay!!!

      Stratchona/ChinaTown/Downtown Eastside Resident

      Jan 16, 2015 at 9:52am

      Kam Wai Dim Sum is the best place for takeout or sit down dim sum treats. The people that run the place are great community supporters and help others.

      There are not only seniors that are affected by all the hyper-development going on down here. Everyone is. People don't realize that the DT Eastside which includes Chinatown, is NOT Main and Hastings, but a huge area with a predominance of apartments for the elderly. Those who built the cities sewers, roads, bridges and tunnels. Those who waitressed at Scotts Cafe for decades serving the bank managers etc who now have retirement homes in the Gulf Islands. Those who remained poor but sent their kids to college. The retirees working in 1965 made $1.00 minimum wage. In 1967 $1.10. Imagine their CPP old age pensions. They are the ones living here. Stop blaming poverty on stupidity or laziness.

      There are 6 new towers in a 4 block radius of my apartment. There are approx. 10 new towers within an 8 block radius of my apartment. There are 5 new Hipster coffee shops I can't afford. Ridiculous stores abound.

      Artist studios in the area will be effected by rising land taxes and increasing rents. I have no idea what the city is thinking. Nothing goes up forever. And if the economies of Europe, China, and Russia continue to contract and deflate where do you think those investors of condo's will take their money out of? The newest most expensive investments.

      In Australia they enacted legislation in which if you buy property you must live in the Country for at least 6 months of the year. That way the inflators at least contribute to the tax base that funds the street cleaners and garbage removal etc.

      As I type this I get to listen to the unending construction noise that is the main characteristic of the neighborhood over the last 2 years. My nerves are shot and my PTSD, which I don't use drugs for, thank you for re-thinking this hyper-development better as we go forward.

      Kathryn Molloy

      May 27, 2015 at 2:30pm

      This is wonderful! Thank you for the creative, fun and informative video on the importance of Vancouver's Chinatown!
      Well done.