Qingming Festival at the Museum
Date:
March 29, 2026, 11:30 A.M. & 1:30 P.M.
Location:
Chinese Canadian Museum
[51 E Pender St Vancouver, BC V6A 1S9]
Schedule:
11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. (English storytelling performance)
1:30 P.M. – 2:30 P.M. (Cantonese storytelling performance)
Cost:
Included with museum admission
Falling on April 5 this year, Qingming Festival (清明節), also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a time to honour ancestors through grave visits and ritual offerings.
Join us ahead of the festival for special storytelling performances about the familial connections of this holiday by Five Blessings Collective, followed by a short presentation on the cultural significance of Qingming by the Wong’s Benevolent Association of Canada.
Five Blessings Collective’s second episode in their A Year of Blessings audio play series about Chinese holidays, Little Shrimp, focuses on the Qingming Festival. Little Shrimp is a story about a brave little shrimp with a big heart who takes us on a musical adventure through the underwater (and underworld) to connect with friends, family, and ancestors on Qingming, the tomb-sweeping holiday.
English Cast: Jasmine Chen, Amanda Sum, Robyn Jacob, Nancy Tam, Derek Chan, Howard Dai
Cantonese Cast: Kevin Lam, Agnes Hui, Elaine Tsang, Rose Pichler, Derek Chan, Kenny Poon
Guest Speakers
Five Blessings Collective
Five Blessings is a collective of five Chinese Canadian performance artists—Nancy Tam, Derek Chan, Robyn Jacob, Jasmine Chen, and Howard Dai—who create work across theatre, sound and music, movement, and performance. Made up of first- and second-generation settlers from Hong Kong and Taiwan, Five Blessings explores and celebrates the complexities of stories and traditions from the Chinese diaspora through song, audio plays, film, and stage works.
A Year in Blessings, Five Blessings’ five-episode multilingual audio play series, introduces young audiences to Chinese holidays through storytelling and sound.
Wongs’ Benevolent Association of Canada
The Wongs’ Benevolent Association of Canada is a traditional Chinatown society organization in Vancouver. It has origins dating back to 1913 and was officially founded in 1923. Originally serving its members on surname ties, it expanded to serving the greater Chinatown community by providing cultural services and spaces. Through its long history and the Association’s elders, the Wongs have documented countless traditional practices, archived generations of aging materials and stories, many of which are traditions that are unique to Chinese Canadian society.
Family Discovery
Our monthly Family Discovery programs welcome visitors of all ages!
Turn your museum visit into a memorable experience with our Family Discovery days, with programs designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and connection across generations.
Our Family Discovery days often feature a vibrant mix of hands-on art-making, interactive story times, special museum tours, and engaging activities that celebrate Chinese cultural holidays and bring the themes of our current exhibitions to life.
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July 1 at the Museum
Join us this July 1 in celebrating Chinese Canadian legacies and culture. From conversations around historical memory, creative crafts, and a special musical performance, there’s something for the whole family!
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“Clan of the Painted Lady” Film Screening & Director Q&A
Join director Jennifer Chiu for a special screening of her latest film exploring her Hakka-Canadian heritage, followed by an audience Q&A.
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Wearing the Cheongsam: Chinese Canadian Identity Through Fashion
Join Cheryl Sim and Mia Wu, owner and senior tailor at Modernize Tailors, for a presentation discussion on contemporary cheongsam trends, garment production, and cultural appropriation.
