When you put hot tea and snacks together, you end up with a good reason to head down to Vancouver’s Chinatown.

The City of Vancouver will be hosting two pop-up tea cart events (March 24 and 27) in the historic neighbourhood to share information on upcoming city initiatives in the area.

City staff and a professional tea master will be serving the China-originated beverage and some bites from a street cart while taking questions and feedback regarding ongoing Chinatown projects.

According to a press release sent out from the City today—which coincides with International Day to Eliminate Racial Discrimination (March 21)—some of the initiatives in Chinatown include proposed updates to development policies to protect Chinatown’s unique characteristics; a city apology for historical discrimination against Chinese people in Vancouver and Chinatown Cultural Day; and the creation of a long-term plan to protect and grow Chinatown’s living heritage and culture.

Vancouver’s Chinatown is the largest in Canada, and remains one of the largest historic Chinatowns in North America. Its establishment dates back to the late 1880s, when a large number of Chinese immigrants settled into what was known as Shanghai Alley and Canton Alley (along Carrall Street to Main Street). The Chinese neighbourhood reached a peak in the 1920s, when it boasted a hospital, two Chinese theatres, a library, schools, and Chinese association buildings.

But the Chinese Canadian community in Vancouver faced discrimination from their Caucasian counterparts, including not being able to obtain full voting rights until 1948; being excluded employment by the City of Vancouver (no Chinese person was employed by the City until 1952); facing city by-laws that restricted where Chinese residents could own and run businesses; and dealing with housing covenants that prohibited Chinese residents from purchasing property.

In 1885, Canada passed the Chinese Immigration Act and imposed a head tax of $50 to all Chinese immigrants entering Canada. In 1900, that tax was doubled to $100 and required that all Chinese people leaving Canada must return within a year or face paying the head tax again. In 1903, the Act was amended again and increased the head tax to $500.

Just as Vancouver’s Chinatown was enjoying its livelihood in the 1920s, the federal government passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1923—virtually banning all Chinese immigration to Canada until 1947. This took a toll on the city’s Chinese community, which saw a stark decrease in Chinatown’s population.

Vancouver’s Chinatown and its residents faced discrimination along with other hardships over the years, but has undergone plenty of transformations in recent times. The initiatives proposed for the historic neighbourhood will hopefully maintain and improve the social, economic, and cultural developments in the once vibrant community.

The pop-up tea cart events takes place on March 24 (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) in front of 188 East Pender Street, and March 27 (3:30 to 6 p.m.) in front of 127 East Pender Street.

For more information, click here.