EXPLORING CHINATOWN
Learn
The Victoria Chinatown Museum offers educational programming throughout the year. We celebrate special cultural days, and host public events including street festivals, book launches, film screenings and workshops.
We believe that through community-engaged activities, programs, events and education about Chinese Canadian history, we can share perspectives, deepen conversations and learn with all communities. The Chinese Canadian story is an evolving story and an ongoing process.
Books & Films
The museum is grateful for the guests and supporters who have joined us to celebrate these important books and films:
Beyond the Silence, Keira Loughran, 2024
This documentary tells the story of two Canadian grand-daughters searching for their roots and to understand how the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923 impacted their families. The exclusive Victoria showing on May 7, 2025 was presented by the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society and supported by Alan Lowe Architect Inc. and Chan and Associates Professional Chartered Accountants.
Chinese Victoria, John Adams, 2024
A cultural feast, including hundreds of photos, the book charts the “long and difficult journey” of Victoria’s Chinese community.
The Paper Trail , Catherine Clement, 2025
The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act explores a dark yet largely forgotten chapter in Canadian history. The unprecedented law, which targeted only the Chinese community, was in place for a quarter century and remains among the most tragic episodes in the country’s history.
Stories that Shape Us, Fred Chou, Mikaela Chia, Carmen Huang and Wendy Ma, 2024
This book covers stories of intergenerational resilience in Chinese Canadian families, how these stories were cultivated, and reflections from the researchers and participants involved in this project. The authors generously donated book sale proceeds to support the Victoria Chinatown Museum.
Transpacific Reform and Revolution, Zhongping Chen, 2023
This book uses rich archival sources and a new network approach to examine how reform and revolution in North American Chinatowns influenced political change in China and the transpacific Chinese diaspora from 1898 to 1918.
Blog
Asian Heritage Month
In May, the Victoria Chinatown Museum celebrates Asian Heritage Month with a range of events, programs, and community activities that showcase Chinese Canadian history, culture, and contributions. Established in Canada in 2001, Asian Heritage Month provides an...
Awakening Chinatown 2026
The Fifth Annual Awakening Chinatown Returns The streets of Canada’s oldest Chinatown will come alive once again as the fifth annual Awakening Chinatown Festival returns on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Presented by the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society (VCMS) in partnership...
Welcome to new Associate Director Linda Tzang
The Victoria Chinatown Museum Society Board of Directors welcomes K. Linda Tzang as the new Associate Director of the Victoria Chinatown Museum, beginning April 1, 2026. From 2005 to 2019 Linda was the Curator of Cultural Communities at the Royal Alberta Museum and...
The Ride for Redress and the Federal Government Apology
Houaida Bouslimi, Feb 2026One motorcycle. One journey. One demand for justice. In 2005, Gim Foon Wong, a Chinese Canadian Second World War veteran, set out from Victoria on a solo motorcycle ride across Canada. His destination was Ottawa. His purpose was redress. The...
Short Film Screening
International Women's Day Short Film Screening Join us Sunday, March 29 at 1 pm for two short films celebrating women during exclusion: Born an Immigrant – The Dressmaker and In Search of Mah Hang. Stay for a panel discussion with director Jenn Lee, producer Catherine...
Lunar New Year 2026
Gung hay fat choy! Today is the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the year of the fire horse. The celebration of Lunar New Year holds deep cultural significance for Victoria’s historic Chinatown. Chinese Canadian pioneers brought many traditions with them when they...
History of Chinatown
Victoria’s Chinatown is the oldest in Canada and one of the oldest in North America. Its streets tell stories of arrival, labour, resilience, and community. Established in the mid-nineteenth century, Chinatown grew as Chinese migrants came to the West Coast seeking...
Chinese Canadian students in Victoria boycotted public schools for one year – 1922-1923
Grace Wong Sneddon, Ph.D Board Chair, VCMS September 5, 2022 The boycott was a response to the growing Anglo pro-segregation pressure across the West Coast in the 1920s for a more complete separation of the Chinese and white races in public schools. The school protest...
Commemorative Fundraising Luncheon of the Chinese Students School Strike
Thomas Chan, Victoria Chinatown Museum Society Board Director, and Ryan Painter, School District 61 Board Chair, with commemorative plaque at George Jay School.
Things to do with kids around Victoria
August 2024 Looking for things to do with your kids around Victoria? The link below will take you to an article that is filled with wonderful ideas to educate and entertain kids READ FULL ARTICLE
Awakening Chinatown 2025
The streets of Canada’s oldest Chinatown will come alive with the sights and sounds of Chinese Canadian culture once again on Sunday, May 25, 2025, from noon to 5:30 PM, when Awakening Chinatown returns for its fourth year. Organized by the Victoria Chinatown Museum...
Guided Tours
The Victoria Chinatown Museum offers guided tours for school groups and other organizations. Please contact us if you are interested in organizing a tour for your group.
Get in touch,
get involved
We’d love to hear from you! Whether you’re curious about our museum’s initiatives, interested in becoming a member, or eager to volunteer at upcoming events, please drop us a message below. We’re here to connect you with the stories and heritage of Chinese Canadians in Victoria.
