Living Classroom: Chinatown Field Trips
Celebrate Lunar New Year and beyond with innovative field trip ideas and 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. Four dynamic cultural organizations are teaming up to welcome educators for a day of guided tours, hands-on workshops, experiential learning, and networking.
Educators 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. Make this Lunar New Year extra special for your class and book now!
Event Details:
Date: Friday, February 13, 2026
Check-in Location: Chinese Canadian Museum (51 E Pender St.)
Time: 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. (Doors at 8:30 A.M.)
* See Agenda below for the detail scheduleCost: $120/person (excluding tax and Eventbrite processing fees)
* Includes all program materials, lunch, light refreshments, one complimentary happy hour drink, and admission to the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, Chinese Canadian Museum, and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.Register: Purchase tickets here
Schedule
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Check-in & welcome pastries
Please check in at the Chinese Canadian Museum (51 E Pender St).
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Celebrating Chinese Canadian History in Your Classroom
Hosted by the Chinese Canadian Museum
Start your day with an introduction to Chinese Canadian history on a guided museum tour of our permanent exhibitions! Uncover the legacies of pioneers, veterans, and advocates who forged a path from exclusion to recognition with a preview of our Trailblazers & Guardians school program and swap teaching tips with our education team. Educators will also have access to a range of lesson plans, classroom resources, and hands-on activity ideas.
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Dancing Dragons, Dancing Lions
Hosted by the Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Let us introduce you to one of our most popular field trip programs at this time of year: Dancing Dragons, Dancing Lions! Through stories, archival photos and artifacts, you will explore the cultural significance of these performances in Chinatown's history. We’ll even practice some dance steps to get everyone moving! Additionally, explore our other field trip programs, our teachable artifact collection and our new basement learning space, the Learning Lab.
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Dim Sum Lunch
Enjoy an authentic dim sum lunch, catered by a local Chinatown restaurant!
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Lunar New Year Paper Cutting
Hosted by the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
As part of our Living Classroom: Field Trips in Chinatown collaboration, we’re excited to welcome all Educators to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden for a glimpse of what their students can experience. Our programs support the BC Curriculum from Kindergarten to post-secondary and include garden tours, literature and art sessions, Chinese history, and even Tai Chi. Since the visit falls around the Lunar New Year period, teachers will also get to enjoy the festive decorations around the Garden and learn a little about the traditions we share in our popular Chinese New Year program for Pre-K to Grade 5. We’ll finish with a simple traditional craft to celebrate the season and spark ideas for future field trips.
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Educator Meet and Mingle: Happy Hour at the Garden
Hosted by Dragon Boat BC
As your day in Chinatown comes to a close, meet and mingle with other teachers, educators, and the organizations you’ve spent the day with. Enjoy a complimentary adult refreshment and snacks in the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden’s scenic settings (non-alcoholic options also available) as you share ideas about what inspired you about the day. Plus, get adventurous: test your strength on our mobile paddling machines for your chance to win a prize. And, learn about our year-round field trip options located just 5 minutes from Main Street SkyTrain Station so your students can discover Vancouver from the water in our dragon boats and kayaks.
Presented in partnership with the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, Chinese Canadian Museum, Dragon Boat BC, and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.
