Vancouver
> Neighborhood
> Chinatown
Overview:
Vancouver’s
Chinatown is the 2nd largest in North America (after
San Francisco’s) and
walking its streets is like stepping into a movie set, being in
another time and place with all the sights, smells, sounds and
tastes of another culture. Street life is one of the reasons
Chinatown is such a distinctive neighborhood; the sidewalks are
bustling, noisy and often jammed with curious foodstuffs
spilling out from the stores. Chinese medicine is ‘the norm’
and knowledgeable apothecaries, armed with drawers filled with
medicinal remedies, are only too pleased to balance the ‘water
in your body’ or your yin and yang energies. Watch retailers
hawking trinkets, exotic foodstuffs, herbs and potions - and
keep an eye open for one of the world’s narrowest buildings
(at the corner of Carrall
and Pender) alongside some of the best examples of Chinese
architecture: recessed balconies, ornamental roof lines and
curved roof tiles. Authentic street signs and newspapers add to
the atmosphere and might even have you believing you’re in
Hong Kong. Need a breather? Head Dr.
Sun Yat Sen Gardens, a
tranquil, walled garden built by master craftsmen that’s the
only Ming Dynasty garden of its kind outside of China.
Need food? Try any number of the area’s great
restaurants. Chinatown is liveliest at the weekends, and the
Saturday night market makes for a very different ‘night
cap’. Parking is difficult and if you do find a spot you’ll want
to stay longer than the meter allows. Our advice is to walk,
especially as it’s within 20 minutes of most major hotels.
