Chinatown, Victoria
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Chinatown is a neighbourhood in Victoria, British Columbia. It was the first Chinatown in Canada and second in the Americas (after San Francisco). It began to form in 1858 with the discovery of gold in the Fraser Canyon. Many Chinese citizens trace their ancestry to south China, mostly in the Guangdong Province. With the Gold Rush on the rise, many Chinese men who immigrated due to famine, drought or war in their homeland sailed across the Pacific Ocean to Victoria on the Crown Colony of Vancouver Island en route to the Barkerville area. Some came from California, where the previous gold frenzy had taken place. A later attraction for Chinese immigrants was the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Mainly men immigrated, but if they made enough money, they would pay for their family's fare to Victoria.
Initially a collection of crude wooden huts, Victoria's Chinatown rapidly evolved into a dense neighbourhood of businesses, theatres, schools, churches, temples, opium factories, gambling dens, brothels, and a hospital. Chinatown grew steadily over the years until its peak in 1911, at which time it occupied an area of about six city blocks in the north end of downtown Victoria.[1] This area included two blocks of Herald Street, two blocks of Fisgard Street, and two blocks of old Cormorant Street (the block between Store Street and Government Street having since been renamed as Pandora Avenue, and the block between Government Street and Douglas Street having since been absorbed into Centennial Square).[1]
In 1911, Victoria's Chinatown housed 3,158 people,[2] which is slightly more than the population of all of downtown Victoria including Chinatown and Harris Green (but not including North Park) in 2001.[2]
Victoria's Chinatown suffered a period of decline between the 1920s and the 1970s, shrinking dramatically both in size and in population. In the 1980s, significant revitalization efforts were undertaken, most notably the construction of the Gate of Harmonious Interest on Fisgard Street at the west side of the Government Street intersection. Ongoing revitalization over the years has included the introduction of coffee shops, cafes, studios, and workshops, as well as a small condominium development in Dragon Alley.[3] [4]
Today, Victoria's revitalized Chinatown is a popular area for tourists at the north end of the historic "Old Town" area of downtown. The focus is the 500-block of Fisgard Street, including famously narrow Fan Tan Alley, although the old Chinese School and a small selection of historic buildings and Chinese businesses also occupy the 600-block of Fisgard Street between Government Street and Douglas Street.
Many historic buildings have been well preserved in Chinatown and also in the larger area it once occupied along Government Street, Herald Street, Store Street, and Pandora Avenue. The modern Chinatown continues to be a key component of Downtown Victoria with many tourist attractions, hotels, bars, restaurants, theatres, services, and shopping areas nearby.
[edit] Features
A large attraction in Chinatown is its ornate gate which was built in Suzhou, one of Victoria's sister cities. Another feature is the famous Fan Tan Alley, originally a private walkway full of Opium Dens, Fan Tan Parlours and Brothels, it is now a popular shopping area. There are several souvenir shops, one of them the famous "Neverending Store". Many of Chinatown's most historical and important places are hidden, for example, the Tam Kung Buddhist Temple (the oldest Buddhist temple in Canada) so it is important to snoop around while sightseeing in Victoria.
[edit] References
- ^ Yee, Paul (2005). Chinatown: An Illustrated History of the Chinese Communities of Victoria. James Lorimer & Company. ISBN 1550288423.
- ^ Yee, Paul (2005). Chinatown: An Illustrated History of the Chinese Communities of Victoria. James Lorimer & Company. ISBN 1550288423.
- Victoria's Chinatown: Land Utilization, 1909 (British Columbia Archives)
- 2001 Downtown Neighbourhood Profile (The City of Victoria)
- A Brief History of Victoria's Chinatown (British Columbia Archives Presents the Amazing Time Machine)
- Heritage Restoration: Dragon Alley (Moore Patterson Architects)
[edit] See also
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