Caring for Community & Culture

Our Vision

The Vancouver Chinatown Foundation is a registered charity committed to the revitalization of Chinatown, one of Canada’s most iconic neighbourhoods in the historic heart of Vancouver. The Foundation is dedicated to building a more resilient and inclusive community by promoting the well-being of those in need, while preserving Chinatown’s irreplaceable cultural heritage. As a community builder, the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation mobilizes resources and acts as a catalyst by bringing together thoughtful minds with on-the-ground insight – people who care about our community – to help solve some of our city’s biggest challenges.

Our Work

Our strategy to revitalize this important neighbourhood is based on three pillars: physical revitalization, economic revitalization, and cultural revitalization. Our community projects focus on creating a lasting positive impact such as affordable housing, seniors housing, cultural understanding, and economic development.

 

A black and white picture of an older man sitting and a child standing beside him. The man seems to be doing some type of work and has his hand on the desk and is looking at the camera smiling. The child has her hand on the mans legs and looks like she is mid-walk but is looking at the camera

Chinatown Storytelling Centre

Opened this past November in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, the Chinatown Storytelling Centre is the first permanent space of its kind in Canada with programming, exhibits and interactive kiosks dedicated to sharing the indelible stories about the past, present, future, and living heritage of Vancouver’s Chinatown.

With story contributions from Chinese Canadians of all ages, social backgrounds, and immigration histories, the Chinatown Storytelling Centre celebrates the powerful resilience of the Chinese Canadian journey and is a collection of the neighbourhood’s cultural history and an inclusive space for new ideas and dialogues to be shared.

The Chinatown Storytelling Centre is a central component of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation’s cultural revitalization efforts. We hope to see you there soon!

To purchase tickets or learn more, visit the Chinatown Storytelling Centre website here.

Foo Hung Curios

Foo Hung Curios is a home goods and gift shop located at the Chinatown Storytelling Centre. The name plays homage to the iconic Foo Hung Curios store established in 1921. A purveyor of home goods, stationery, art and jewelry, the store offers a contemporary take on traditional objects, showcasing Chinese Canadian brands, designers and artists. Please drop by for a visit.

All proceeds from Foo Hung Curios sales support the programs of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre.

Follow us on Instagram! Sign up for our newsletter here to receive updates on sales, special events and promotions just for our subscribers!

A black and white picture of an older man sitting and a child standing beside him. The man seems to be doing some type of work and has his hand on the desk and is looking at the camera smiling. The child has her hand on the mans legs and looks like she is mid-walk but is looking at the camera
A 3D rendering of a large condo building. There are trees on the side walk and the sky is blue.

58 West Hastings

When completed, 58 West Hastings will be a 10-storey building with 230 social and affordable housing units. Located in the Downtown Eastside, this project will provide a safe place to live with access to an integrated health care facility that will also serve the community at large.

Learn More

May Wah Hotel

A historic single room occupancy (SRO) hotel in Chinatown built in 1913 to provide affordable housing for low-income labourers. Today the May Wah is a safe home that houses low income residents and seniors.

Learn More

three chinese seniors around a table playing Mahjong. The women in the middle has black hair done in a 50s like manner and is wearing Pantos shaped sunglasses, a pink sweater and pink ascot. She has her hands out on the table to grab a tile.
A young woman helping an older woman try on a scarf. The younger woman is on the right side of the photograph and is wearing a Vancouver Chinatown Foundation volunteer t-shirt, glasses, and a long sleeve shirt. The older woman is on the left and is wearing glasses and a large puffy jacket. The volunteer is helping her put on an orange scarf

Volunteer

Our community work would be impossible without the talent, time, and generosity of our volunteer community. If you’d like to get involved and connect with others to help revitalize Chinatown then we’d love to meet you.

Learn More