Vancouver is a unique and exciting place to celebrate Chinese New Year. From the old Chinatown in downtown Vancouver, to the new “Chinatown” of Richmond, the wealth and diversity of Chinese culture here is exemplified in how the New year is celebrated. The history of Chinese immigration in this city spans over 200 years, and there are historical and contemporary sights to enjoy to get the full taste of a Chinese-Canadian Lunar new year festival the Vancouver way.
Below is a suggested itinerary of events to check out on the week of Feb 7-14.
February 7th, New Year’s eve
New Year’s eve is the perfect time to go to the Richmond International Buddhist temple. It is the largest Buddhist temple in North America, located at 9160 Steveston Highway. It’s a wonderful nighttime event with incense and candles burning, and the public offering their prayers for the new year. Richmond is the pearl in the dragon’s mouth (as seen on a map) and therefore a lucky city. It only makes sense to begin the week of celebrations here.
February 8th, New Year’s Day (and BC day)
The Chinese Dance, Musical Performances and Flower Fair at Aberdeen Centre in Richmond is a great place to visit on New Year’s day. The mall is a part of the Golden Village, one in a handful of high-end Chinese-themed malls around Richmond’s No 3 road. The location is the most densely populated Chinese neighbourhood in the city at over 80% ethnic Chinese. Because it is considered a lucky place to live, many new immigrants continue to move here, and so it’s an obvious place to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
February 9th
Flight of The Dragon is Flyover Canada’s Chinese New Year event. It’s an opportunity to soar over China for 20 minutes of breathtaking beauty. It plays as a double feature with Flyover Canada, so it’s the perfect experience of the best of Canadian and Chinese geography and sights. Located at Canada Place, it’s a great excuse to stick around and take a walk around Stanley Park to bask in the natural beauty of the city’s biggest park.
February 10th
A new, hip Chinese-influenced restaurant is a good choice for the Chinese-Canadian Lunar New Year experience. Opened by Chinese-Canadian and long term Vancouverite Tannis Ling, this lovely restaurant at 163 Keefer has been open since 2010 and represents the changing face of Vancouver’s Chinatown. It is hip, attractive, and excellent, and created with the heartfelt memories of the owner’s childhood experiences of visiting the bustling Chinatown streets. Bao Bei really is what the name means– Precious.
February 11th
Vancouver’s Chinatown is home to many great street shops. But it’s also home to one fun mall called International Village. The mall is located at 88 West Pender Street, and it is normally a very quiet mall, until Chinese New Year week with the live music and entertainment, and fun shopping and delicious food in the food court. Feb 11 is the first day of festivities at the mall, which run until Feb 14th.
February 12th
Visit Richmond’s River Rock Casino for Pang, Suzan & KC Chinese New Year Celebration. Celebrate with these three Hong Kong celebrities: Lo Hoi-Pang the hilarious comedian, and Suzan and KC with their heart-melting melodies. There will be fun-filled stage games and overall it’s the perfect way to welcome the Year of the Monkey! The River Rock is located at 8811 River Rock Road, Richmond.
February 13th
Vancouver Lunarfest is a series of performances which take place in the Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza at 750 Hornby Street. The performances reflect the diversity of Asian cultures in Vancouver, all who observe the Lunar New Year. The Lunarfest is the 12th, 13th and 14th of February at the Art Gallery Plaza.
February 14th, Parade Day, and Valentine’s Day
February 14th is a very lucky day to go to the Chinatown Parade, as it is also Valentine’s Day! The parade, with about 3,000 performers, and drawing a crowd of about 50,000 people, is from 11 am to about 1:30 pm, and starts at the Millennium Gate on Pender Street. It is a great opportunity to bask in the sights, sounds, and smells of Chinatown. Be sure to check out Chinatown’s first streets: Shanghai Alley and Canton Alley, where Chinese Vancouverites first settled over 200 years ago. Also of note are the Monument to Chinese Canadians on Keefer and Columbia, and the Chinese Zodiac Mosaic at the Sun Yat Sen Courtyard at 50 East Pender. While you’re there, you might as well stay for free festivities at the Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival and Cultural Fair at Sun Yat Sen Plaza until 5 pm.
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