Chinese Canadian Museum Celebrates One-Year Anniversary on July 1st
Vancouver, BC (June 25, 2024) – On Monday, July 1, the Chinese Canadian Museum is celebrating the one-year milestone of its grand opening in Vancouver Chinatown while also commemorating the anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act — the subject of our museum’s current feature exhibition.
As Canadians gather on this significant day for the country, the museum is hosting a number of fun, family-friendly activities including live poetry readings and workshops by renowned Chinese-Canadian poets, live music performance, an art therapy workshop, a special curator’s talk, and drop-in games and crafts for visitors.
Located in the historic Wing Sang Building at 51 East Pender Street in Vancouver Chinatown, the Chinese Canadian Museum provides meaningful and transformative experiences for all, connecting everyone to the diverse and eclectic stories of generations of Chinese Canadians. Since the doors opened last year, the museum has welcomed more than 27,000 visitors.
“In a blink of an eye, we are already at our one-year anniversary since our grand opening as Canada’s first Chinese Canadian Museum,” says Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum. “We’ve welcomed over 27,000 visitors from across Canada and around the world, sharing the beautiful multi-generational stories of Chinese Canadians and our contributions to this country through our exhibitions and travelling programs. We look forward to continuing to transcend cultural boundaries and elevating the voices of Chinese Canadians, today and into the future.”
July 1st holds multiple meanings for the Chinese Canadian Museum: Canada Day; its one-year anniversary since its grand opening; and the anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act also known as “Humiliation Day” to many Chinese-Canadians, the subject of its current feature exhibition, The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, curated by Catherine Clement.
This Monday, July 1st, the museum will host a number of workshops, including:
10:00 a.m. – Poetry workshop with Vancouver’s Poet Laureate Fiona Tinwei Lam.
12 p.m. – Poetry performances and discussions about how Chinese-Canadian stories and history have been expressed through poetry with award-winning spoken word artist Christopher Tse, emerging poet James X. Wang, and Vancouver’s Poet Laureate Fiona Tinwei Lam.
12:30 p.m. - Art therapy workshop with professional art therapist Jade Chung, on the emotional impact of learning shared history and collective legacies, to connect with those who came before us, and to explore alternative ways of expression.
1:30 p.m. - Special Curator’s Talk with Catherine Clement, creator and curator of The Paper Trail exhibition, as she explores the tumultuous days leading up to July 1, 1923 – a day the Chinese community would christen "Humiliation Day."
3:30 p.m. – Live musical performance by Son of James, a born and bred Vancouver Chinatown rock band, blends the soulful sounds of rock and funk with the mystical sounds of Chinese Instrumentation.
Drop in games, arts and craft activities include:
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. - Drop-in Games: Mahjong, Chinese Chess, and Marbles
11 a.m. – 3 p.m. - Paper Crafts: Make a Plum Blossom Kusudama
12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. - Family Portraits with BigKidult Caricatures
1 p.m. – 3 p.m. - Sugar Painting with Joanna Arts
Things to check out at the Chinese Canadian Museum:
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 Paper Trail exhibition takes an unflinching look at Canada’s exclusion years from 1923 to 1947, revealing haunting stories of loss, despair and fear, as well as powerful examples of courage and perseverance despite incredible odds.
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. This exhibition is set to close down on Sunday, July 28, 2024.
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.
As Canada’s first Chinese Canadian Museum, the museum leads in honouring, advancing, and connecting Chinese Canadian voices. The non-profit society offers permanent and feature exhibitions, programs, events, and gathering space for the community.
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 B.C. and Canada.
The first of its kind in Canada, the Chinese Canadian Museum is located in the historic Wing Sang Building in Vancouver Chinatown, with a second temporary location at Fan Tan Alley in Victoria, B.C.