During the month of May, you can observe Asian Heritage Month at the Chinese Canadian Museum with tours, stories, experiences, and unique artist contributions on display.
Asian Heritage Month at the Chinese Canadian Museum
- Date: May, 2024
- Location: Chinese Canadian Museum (51 East Pender St, Vancouver)
- Tickets: Available for purchase online.
On April 27th, the museum is launching a new talk series, Chinese Canadian Convos, the first featuring Arlene Chan, who is a writer, historian, and cultural consultant for Disney Pixar’s Turning Red movie. During this event, Chan will be discussing cultural authenticity and representations of Chinese Canadian culture in cinema. The session also includes a special documentary screening of Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red.
There will be special fermentation and liqueur making workshops with master distiller and fermentation specialist, Kristine Hu, best known as Miss Brewbird on YouTube. In recognition of Asian Heritage Month, a selection of Asian fruits, teas, herbs and botanicals will be featured as well as other ingredients. Her workshops are scheduled for May 14th and May 22nd.
Join The Paper Trail Curator’s Tour with Catherine Clement on May 4th, which is offered in addition to the Wing Sang Building Tour. The museum also includes:
- The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, the museum’s feature exhibition curated by Catherine Clement, focuses on the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act.
- The Journeys Here, a painted wall mural by Chinese Canadian artist Marlene Yuen, highlighting Chinese Canadian journeys and experiences past to present.
- Odysseys and Migration, an exhibition in the introduction gallery space exploring the Chinese diaspora from the early waves to present day.
- Period Rooms: Historic School Room & Living Room, a recreated school classroom from 1914 and a 1930s period living room with interactive antique objects that bring visitors back in time to when the original Wing Sang Building owner, Yip Sang, and his family lived in Chinatown.
- Embracing Diversity, a commissioned art sculpture piece by Musqueam artist Susan Point and her son Thomas Cannell to honour the strong connection and the historical ties of the Indigenous peoples and early Chinese migrants in Canadian history.
For Asian Heritage Month, the museum has also commissioned local Chinese Canadian ceramic artist Freda Lin from Bad Potters Ceramics to design and create rice bowls which will be available for purchase on site.
About the Chinese Canadian Museum
The Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia is an independent, non-profit organization established in March 2020 to create a museum honouring and sharing Chinese Canadian history, contributions, and living heritage. Guided by its mission statement “Connecting to the Chinese Canadian story – addressing inclusion for all”, the Chinese Canadian Museum aspires to provide an invigorating and transformative experience for present and future generations through its exhibitions and educational programming throughout BC and Canada.