As a community hub for sharing culture, art, and the many fascinating stories connected to Vancouver’s Chinatown, the Chinatown Storytelling Centre offers a range of programs for the whole family to enjoy. We’ll be inviting community elders, authors, artists, and performers to share their stories and talents in an intimate setting.
Saturday, October 19th, 2024 | 11 am - 1 pm
Drop-in activity
Free with admission to the Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Youth aged 17 and under will be admitted for FREE
Come meet artist Donna Seto and learn about her watercolour illustrations that bring Chinatown's historic businesses to life! You'll get a chance to create colourful illustrations of Chinatown's buildings and stick them on magnet paper for a timeless memento to take home.
Activities and admission are free for youth (17 & under). Youth under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Adult participation is with admission or free for members.
All materials will be provided, while supplies last.
Attendees can enjoy 10% off at Chinatown BBQ or DD Mau!
Join us at the Chinatown Storytelling Centre for a creative morning with Vancouver Poet Laureate Fiona Tinwei Lam as she presents her City Poems project. This event offers teachers innovative ways to integrate poetry, multimedia, and collaboration into the classroom. Explore how to connect students with Chinatown and Vancouver, fostering belonging and cultural awareness through place-based learning. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with our teaching collection and school programs.
About City Poems
The City Poems project sparks interest in poetry about historical, cultural, and ecological sites within the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. It began with a poetry contest and provides free learning resources for teachers.
About Fiona Tinwei Lam
Fiona Tinwei Lam, Vancouver’s Poet Laureate (2022-2024), has authored three poetry collections and a children’s book. Her work appears in Best Canadian Poetry, Poetry in Transit, and award-winning poetry videos. She also teaches creative writing at SFU.
Join us in celebrating two new graphic memoirs by Chinese Canadian/American authors. Teresa Wong’s All Our Ordinary Stories and Tessa Hulls’ Feeding Ghosts enlighten us through their pictures and words exploring multigenerational stories of immigration, identity and family.
The event will be moderated by Petti Fong, journalist and author of Alone Together.
Presented in Partnership with the Vancouver Writers Fest
Author signings to follow and books will be available for sale at Foo Hung Curios.
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Saturday, April 6, 2024 | 4 - 6 pm
Book signing 5:30 - 6 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Join us for an evening of storytelling to celebrate past and present Chinese Canadians involved in Canada’s national obsession, hockey!
Author Chad Soon will launch his co-authored children’s book, The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey, and share Kwong’s fascinating story as the first player of Asian descent in the NHL in 1948 and a great builder of the sport internationally.
We’ll hear the stories of young Chinese Canadian players going pro from former professional player Brandon Wong, and documentary filmmaker Jenny Lee-Gilmore will share a heartfelt tribute to her hockey-playing mother, Kelley, as she competes for Team BC at the Canada 55 Plus Games.
We are excited to have special guest Samantha Chang from "The Broadscast", who will be moderating this event.
Event Recording:
Friday, March 22, 2024 | Performance from 7 - 9 pm
Reception from 6 - 7 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Join us for the gala premiere of DIM SUM DIARIES: SECOND HELPING, an original short-play cycle from Fabulist Theatre, exploring the diverse experiences of modern Chinese Canadians.
SECOND HELPING was written by Kevin Chong, Aaron Jan, Dale Lee Kwong, Mark Leiren-Young, Yvette Lu, Minh Ly, Louisa Phung Suk Yee, and Kenneth Tynan, using a mix of real-life interviews and personal experiences. It delves into intersectionality with humour, drama, and a touch of the fantastical. The project was inspired by Mark Leiren-Young's 1991 radio play "Dim Sum Diaries," which was commissioned by CBC Morningside/Savage God, and serves as a thematic sequel.
Event includes dim sum appetizers, silent auction, cash bar, and a chance to meet the cast and creative team of this exciting new work.
Please be advised, the play contains coarse language, themes of internalized racism, racial discrimination, pressured cultural assimilation, lateral violence, toxic masculinity, internalized ableism, description of hate crimes, and sexual references.
Saturday, March 16, 2024 | 4 - 5 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Born in Canton, China, Vancouver-raised Simon Chang caught the attention of the fashion world in the 70s and 80s with his signature style. Hear the stories of the prolific designer, who will delve into his evolution as a celebrated Canadian fashion icon. The great-grandson of Vancouver pioneer merchant Chang Toy, Simon will reflect on his upbringing in Chinatown and his influences.
We are excited to have special guest David Lui, CEO of Kit and Ace, who will be moderating this event.
Event Recording:
Saturday to Monday, February 17-19, 2024 | 11 am - 4 pm
Drop-in activity is free with admission during
Monday, February 19, 2024 | 11 am - 1 pm
Family Day lands on the 9th day of the 15-day Lunar New Year celebration this year! Come see a handmade dragon head in our exhibit, take some festive photos in our space, and learn about Chinatown's vibrant heritage!
After a successful first weekend, our special Lunar New Year promotion and family-friendly "Colour Your Lucky Dragon" are back by popular demand!
During Family Day long weekend (February 17-19) admission will be 50% off, and youth 17 and under will be admitted for free! Youth under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
On February 19th, the wood dragons will return to our theatre space! Colour your own laser-cut wooden dragon magnet and bring it home with you.*
*One kit per person, while supplies last. First come, first served.
Friday to Sunday, February 9-11, 2024
Activities will take place around neighbouring streets, covering 16-blocks of Vancouver’s Chinatown
The Chinatown Storytelling Centre is excited to be a part of Taste of Chinatown, a three-day festival celebrating the Lunar New Year featuring:
Visit TasteofChinatown.ca for full details!
The Chinatown Storytelling Centre will be offering 50% off admission. Youth under and 17 come for free*!
*Youth under 12 must be supervised by an accompanying adult.
Friday to Sunday, February 9-11 | 6 pm to 11 pm
Above Chinatown Storytelling Centre
FREE
Step back through the decades and experience the vibrant tapestry of Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown through a captivating projection of archival images.
Images provided by the Chinatown community will be displayed above the Chinatown Storytelling Centre on the Chin Wing Chun Society building.
Saturday, February 10, 2024 | 11 am - 1 pm
Sunday, February 11, 2024 | 11 am - 4 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Free with admission to the Chinatown Storytelling Centre.
Looking for a fun, family-friendly activity to ring in the Year of the Dragon? Join us in our theatre, where we’ll be colouring laser-cut dragon magnets to attract prosperity, protection, and good health for the year ahead.
Gain inspiration from the large, hand-made dragon head on display in our exhibit and learn about the fascinating heritage of Vancouver’s Chinatown. You’ll get to take home your one-of-a-kind dragon art for all to admire!
Drop-in event. First-come, first served, one dragon kit per person while supplies last.
Sunday, February 11, 2024 | 11 am - 4 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Free with admission to the Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Meet the magnificent God of Wealth (財神 choy sun, caishen)! One of the most popular figures in Chinatown’s festivities, the God of Wealth will be sharing blessings for all and passing out lucky treats for the little ones.
A part of the Taste of Chinatown! festival and coinciding with the annual Chinatown Spring Festival Parade, this event provides an opportunity to learn more about the neighbourhood and experience the cultural heritage up close. All ages welcome.
Drop-in event. First-come, first served.
Join the Chinatown Storytelling Centre and re:Naissance Opera for the launch of ‘168’ – a new youth-led magazine that spotlights diverse perspectives shaping the future of Vancouver’s Chinatown.
Marking 100 years since the passage of the Chinese Immigration Act, this unique publication explores the community’s creative aspirations for the century to come.
Spearheaded by Blake Abbie, an acclaimed Chinese-Scottish Canadian artist and editor based in Vancouver and New York Chinatowns, and in collaboration with a talented team of high school students from across the lower Mainland, '168' empowers youth-driven storytelling and community engagement.
The launch will feature live music, refreshments, and readings from the magazine’s “Letters to the Future” with Blake Abbie and Chinese Canadian author Madeleine Thien.
Join us for an intimate evening of storytelling with beloved Chinese Canadian author Paul Yee.
We’ll travel back in time with Paul to hear about his origins in Spalding, Saskatchewan and his childhood in Vancouver’s Chinatown.
We are excited to have special guest, Scott McIntyre, founding partner of Douglas & McIntyre - publisher of Paul’s award-winning book Saltwater City - who will guide us through Paul's remarkable journey as a prolific writer.
Tours start at 9:30am and 11am
$20 per person
Looking for some innovative field trip ideas or experiential learning opportunities for your students?
Join us for a one-hour guided tour of our exhibits and an exploration of our "touchable teaching collection."
Learn about the diverse experiences of the Chinese Canadian community and how we're activating these stories in our upcoming school programs.
Presenting sponsor: Yumebau
Presented by the Chinatown Storytelling Centre in collaboration with Theatre DOJO, and the UBC Cantonese Program.
今年是李小龍逝世50週年，超級粉絲、香港著名演員及導演歐錦棠，將分享李小龍作為蜚聲國際的功夫及電影巨星的故事，歐錦棠並將展示罕有的紀錄片段及其收藏的珍貴展品。
日期：2023年7月20日
廣東話：下午4:30至5:30
英語：下午6:30至7:30
華埠掌故館、劇道場、卑詩大學粵語合辦
Saturday, April 29th, 2023 | 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
$10 per person; $5 for members
Join us for a lively evening of storytelling with contemporary dance artists Andrea Nann and Sarah Chase of Dreamwalker Dance Company.
Andrea will share an excerpt of their new work, Firehorse and Shadow - a riveting performance that weaves together elements of dance, storytelling, shadow puppetry, animation, food and divination to explore matrilineal family histories rooted in Vancouver Chinatown.
Firehorse and Shadow is co-created by Nann, Chase, shadow artist Annie Katsura Rollins and dramaturge Cindy Mochizuki and the world premiere live performance will be co-presented by Chinatown Storytelling Centre, ExploreAsian and plastic orchid factory from May 4-6, 2023.
Tours start at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm & 3 pm
$20 per person
Looking for some innovative field trip ideas or experiential learning opportunities for your students?
Join us for a one-hour guided tour of our exhibits and an exploration of our "touchable teaching collection."
Learn about the diverse experiences of the Chinese Canadian community and how we're activating these stories in our upcoming school programs.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 | 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
$15/person; $10 for members
Join Juno-nominated Henry Young and "The Chinese Sinatra" Gary Lee for a delightful afternoon of storytelling and music.
Henry's musical genius on the guitar took him to New York as a principal member of Nina Simone’s band. Gary's vocals won him a CBC singing contest and a regular gig on former Top 40 pop radio station, CKLG.
Hear their captivating stories from the entertainment industry in Canada and abroad. Towards the end of their talks, Henry and Gary will also be giving short live performances.
Sunday, March 5, 2023 | 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
$10 per person, $5 for CSC members
Come learn more about our "Raised in Chinatown” exhibit! This companion event will feature the memories of three fascinating individuals who grew up in the neighbourhood.
Donna Chan captained the Chinese Girls Drill Team, Elwin Xie was raised behind the counter of his parents’ Union Laundry, and Peter Joe turned his family’s business Sunrise Tofu into a mainstream staple.
Please note that this event was originally scheduled for February 26th, 2023.
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street
By Donation
Join us at Heritage Hall for a family-friendly evening of storytelling, music, table displays, and light refreshments to celebrate Heritage Week, held by the Vancouver Heritage Foundation.
The Chinatown Storytelling Centre is a Vancouver Heritage Foundation Yosef Wosk Publication Grant recipient.
Friday, January 28, 2023 - from 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Live music at 7:00 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
$35 per person, $25 for CSC members
For all the foodies out there, don’t miss our heritage food tasting night with curated Lunar New Year dishes from the neighbourhood.
Come learn about the cultural significance of each dish and support Chinatown’s talented chefs. To top it off, we’ll have live Cantopop and K-pop performances in our theatre!
Sunday, January 22, 2023 - from 11 am - 3 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre Lobby
All ages - FREE
Join us for a family-friendly celebration to ring in the year of the Water Rabbit! Paint your own lucky rabbit to take home and meet the spectacular God of Wealth (caishen) who will be sharing blessings and passing out treats.
On this special day, we are offering entry by donation to our exhibit space.
Drop-in only. No tickets required.
Saturday, January 21, 2023 - 4 - 5 pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
$5/ticket | FREE for members
Thursday, December 8, 2022 - 2-3pm
Vancouver Public Library, Terry Salman Branch
4575 Clancy Loranger Way, Vancouver, BC
Dr. April Liu, Manager of Public Programs & Education at the Chinatown Storytelling Centre (CSC), will lead an interactive storytelling session using archival photographs and artifacts from the CSC "touchable teaching collection."
Through stories and conversation, we'll explore how each object carries traces of memory, music, and language to reflect Chinatown's unique history and heritage.
Free! Drop-ins welcome.
Friday, November 11, 2022 - 3pm & 4:30pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Co-presented with the Chinese Canadian Museum and Ginsight Films
Guest speaker: Jack Gin
Saturday, October 29, 2022 - 2-3pm
Foo Hung Curios (located inside the Chinatown Storytelling Centre)
Co-presented with the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop, with support from At Bay Press.
We are delighted to welcome Toronto author Nancy Lam to the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, where she will be signing copies of her debut novel The Loyal Daughter at Foo Hung Curios!
As a child and teenager, Nancy Lam lost herself in stories by Canadian writers, and in university she majored in Canadian History to earn a Bachelor of Arts before acquiring her law degree. As an immigration lawyer, she now helps prospective Canadians write and present their life stories to government officials. Her first novel, The Loyal Daughter, is based on her mother’s immigration story to Canada.
"Remarkably original, sensitive, and startlingly honest."
– Robert Rotenberg, Bestselling author of Downfall
Free, all are welcome! The Loyal Daughter will be available for purchase.
Monday, October 24, 2022 - 6-7pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Love, devotion and security—the realm of countless grandmothers past and present.
Chinese grandmothers in particular, hold a special place in many families who have encountered separation, strife and cultural displacement.
Join Dr. Diana Lary for a lively discussion of her new book, China’s Grandmothers, and take in the stories of The Honourable Dr. Vivienne Poy, a doting grandmother who rose to become a Canadian Senator. We’ll also hear from Ryan Iu, a loving grandson who has been on the receiving end of his Poh Poh’s affection.
Foo Hung Curios will be offering Diana’s and Vivienne’s books, with all proceeds of merchandise and ticket sales going toward the Chinatown Storytelling Centre's education programs.
Saturday, October 1, 2022 - 6-7pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
從食物的角度出發，我們將會看到怎樣的香港電影？食物帶來感官體驗，亦盛載了個人及集體回憶。因此，電影中的飲食場面也有著多重意義。食物作為符號，不但能呈現人物關係，亦從中紀錄社會變遷，以及不同時代的生活體驗。而因應電影類型，看似同樣的飲食場境 （例如，茶餐廳），卻可以帶來不一樣的觀感，當中對食物的味道表現也有所不同。是次講座將會透過香港電影中的食物描寫， 以探索光影世界中對食物及生活日常的想像。在相遇、記憶和懷舊之間，食物究竟在訴說甚麼故事？
門票已包1 SPBC啤酒及爆谷
Food is undeniably one of the most common elements shared by films of any genres. Just as the activities of cooking, eating and meal sharing carry emotions and reflect changing times; the visual re-presentations of food invoke the sense of sight, sound, taste, smell, and even touch. Food practice brings back personal and collective memory, while creating new ones across different local, diasporic, and transborder communities.
After all, what does food tell us about Hong Kong cinema? Our journey will begin with locating the images of food, in order to decipher how food and its related entities (e.g., cha chaan teng) act as a site of encounter, conflict, and memory in Hong Kong cinema. The talk will bring the audience to different food scenes in Hong Kong cinema and explore selected moments where food-memory and imagination bring forth a myriad of comic, sentimental, and even chilling effects.
Please note that this is a Cantonese-language event.
Thank you to our generous sponsor, Stanley Park Brewing Company (SPBC).
Monday, September 12, 2022 - 6-7pm
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
The Chinatown Storytelling Centre Reading Room is delighted to present a conversation with Madeleine Thien, internationally-acclaimed author of Do Not Say We Have Nothing, which won the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize, the 2016 Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, and an Edward Stanford Prize; and was shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize, the 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, and The Folio Prize 2017. The novel was named a New York Times Critics’ Top Book of 2016 and was longlisted for a Carnegie Medal.
Join author Anne Giardini, a member of the CSC Advisory Committee, in discussion with Madeleine Thien about place, voice, story and history in her writing. Their conversation will include Thien’s Vancouver origins, her sense of place in Chinatown and in the wider world, and how she weaves history and political events into her rich, compelling stories.
$15 general admission, $10 for CSC members (promo code emailed)
All proceeds will go towards the Chinatown Storytelling Centre's education programs.
Saturday, August 27, 2022 - 3-5pm (free costuming demo), 5-6pm (ticketed presentation & live performance)
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Join us for a lively sneak preview of two new operas exploring Chinatown's history, including CHINATOWN by City Opera Vancouver and The Prop Master's Dream by Vancouver Cantonese Opera.
Drop in from 3-5pm for a free live costuming demo by Vancouver Cantonese Opera, followed by a conversation with Charles Barber (COV) and Rosa Cheng (VCO). Each company will then share a live performance from their upcoming operas from 5-6pm.
$5 tickets, free for CSC members.
Limited tickets available, please register early to reserve your seat.
3 - 5 pm: Cantonese Opera Costuming Demo, CSC lobby (free)
5 - 6 pm: Speaker presentations with live performances, CSC theatre (ticketed)
Saturday, August 13, 2022 - 1pm-2pm PST
Foo Hung Curios, located next to our welcome lobby
Meet award-winning short story author Jack Wang and have your copy of We Two Alone signed at Foo Hung Curios, located inside the Chinatown Storytelling Centre!
We are so excited to welcome author Jack Wang, current Writer-in-Residence at Historic Joy Kogawa House!
Set on five continents and spanning nearly a century, We Two Alone traces the long arc and evolution of the Chinese immigrant experience.
Copies of We Two Alone are available for purchase now in-store and at foohungcurios.com.
Tuesday, June 28, 2022 - 6 PM to 7 PM (PST)
Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Aviation history is replete with adventure and danger, but did you know that Chinese Canadians have made a significant contribution to flight?
Join us for a bird’s eye view of the little-known stories of Chinese Canadian pilots. Our route takes us from flight schools and teenage plane-makers to daring war pilots and bush pilots!
We’ll arrive in 2022 and introduce you to Annika Sun, a young woman who aims to be in the captain’s seat of a major airline and Evelyn Wong, the daughter of a Vancouver teenager who built his own plane in 1936.
Moderated by Ramona Mar, the daughter of a bush pilot who flew throughout the Arctic and Northern BC.
Sunday, May 8, 2022 - 11am-3pm PST
Foo Hung Curios, located next to our welcome lobby
This Asian Heritage Month, expand your bookshelf and your mind in the heart of Vancouver's Chinatown.
Drop by Foo Hung Curios on Sunday, May 8th (Mother's Day!) to welcome and meet three Chinese Canadian writers with books fresh off the press.
11am - 12pm: Wayne Ng - “Letters from Johnny”
12:30pm - 1:30pm: Jamie Chai Yun Liew - “Dandelion"
2pm - 3pm: Cheuk Kwan - “Have You Eaten Yet?”
Presented in partnership with the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop.
Monday, April 25, 2022 - 10am-3pm PST
Various locations in Chinatown
Looking for some innovative field trip ideas or experiential learning opportunities for your students?
Vancouver’s Chinatown is one of Canada’s most iconic neighbourhoods and an ideal site for studying the city’s history and unique diversity. Five dynamic cultural organizations are teaming up to welcome teachers for a day of guided tours, networking, and prize draws.
Teachers will have the opportunity to meet the programming staff at each venue and learn about the engaging programs being developed for students of all ages.
Presented in partnership with the Chinese Canadian Museum, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Dragon Boat BC, and the Vancouver Heritage Foundation.
Saturday, January 29, 2022 - 2-3pm PST
Virtual (Zoom)
Why is it bad luck to wash your hair or sweep the floor on New Year’s Day? What’s up with the fish? Longevity noodles? And bring on those red envelopes!
Bob Sung, who leads Vancouver's popular “A Wok Around Chinatown” and "A Wok Around Granville Island" tours, gives us the Lunar-low-down. As a proud third-generation Chinese Canadian, Bob's culinary background is firmly rooted in his family’s 70-year involvement in the food & hospitality industry in British Columbia.
We're thrilled to invite you to join Bob as we share stories, traditional recipes, and more to usher in the Year of the Tiger!
December 4, 2021 - 1:00 - 2:00pm
Foo Hung Curios, located next to our welcome lobby.
Foo Hung Curios is pleased to welcome Paul Yee, who will be on hand to sign books and say hello to old and new friends.
Paul Yee is a Governor General's Award Winning author, archivist, and historian who was born in Spalding, SK but grew up in Vancouver's Chinatown.
He is the author of numerous children's books inspired by his family and community and his 1988 book Saltwater City has become an important contribution to the history of the Chinese Canadian experience. Saltwater City is currently out of print but a number of editions will be available for sale thanks to a generous donation by Marlene Enns made in memory of writer/artist/activist Jim Wong-Chu. Jim loved Chinatown and believed that by sharing stories and food, people can learn to respect and accept each other.
November 28, 2021 - 4:30pm
Meet some of the faces who graced the covers of Roy Mah’s Chinatown News Magazine over its 42 year history.
Over four decades, North America’s longest-running English news magazine for Chinese Canadians slipped through mail slots, boosting a sense of identity and presence. On the covers of those magazines, editor Roy Mah included a bevy of beauty queens, politicians, athletes, entertainers and business people. What was Roy’s ultimate vision? Meet some of the fascinating figures he featured and hear their stories post Chinatown News celebrity.