Light Up Chinatown

Our hearts are heavy as we address the recent incident at the Light Up Chinatown! festival. On Sunday, shortly before 6:00 p.m., three attendees were victims of a random stabbing. They have been released from the hospital and are recovering from the attack. Our heartfelt thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we wish them a swift recovery.

Light Up Chinatown! served as a beautiful and vibrant celebration of the neighbourhood’s rich cultural legacy where residents, business owners and visitors came together in a display of community. The senseless act that transpired is nothing short of devastating and heartbreaking. 

We would like to thank Premier David Eby, Mayor Ken Sim, and the Vancouver Police Department’s swift response in investigating this matter.

Vancouver Chinatown 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.

Together, we stand resilient and committed to ensuring a safe and vibrant Chinatown. 

我們懷著十分沉重的心情來處理剛在「點亮華埠！」節慶上發生的事件。就在本週日，於下午6點前，有三名參加者遭受隨機的刺傷事件。目前受害者們傷勢穩定，並已出院，我們對受害者與其家人表達最誠摯的慰問，並希望能早日康復。

「點亮華埠！」是個充滿活力並被視為是社區和希望的象徵，本地居民、企業和遊客齊聚一堂，展現了團結的力量。然而，發生毫無理性的刺傷事件實在令人震驚且心碎。

我們特別感謝卑詩省長尹大衛、溫哥華市長沈觀健和溫哥華警察局的迅速行動，並密切合作調查這一事件。

溫哥華華埠基金會致力於建立一個具有韌性和包容性的社區，旨在促進需要人士的福祉，同時保護華埠社區重要的文化遺產。

我們攜手並肩，持續致力於努力確保華埠社區的安全和充滿活力。

LOCATION
500-block Columbia St
between East Pender and Keefer Street
& neighbouring streets

TIME
Saturday, Sept 9th, 11 am-9 pm
Sunday, Sept 10th, 11 am-6 pm

CHINATOWN PASSPORT
PRIZE DRAW

HOW TO ENTER

1. Pick up your passport from a volunteer or from the Chinatown Passport Tent at Pender and Columbia.

2. Visit 8 businesses and collect stamps. No purchase required, but highly recommended!
You need 2 stamps from E Pender St, 2 stamps from Keefer St, 2 stamps from E Georgia St, and 2 stamps from Main St to qualify.

3. Return your passport to a volunteer or the Chinatown Passport Tent.

GRAND PRIZES

2 tickets to Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour at BC Place

2 tickets to Coldplay: Music of the Spheres Tour at BC Place

DAILY PRIZES

SATURDAY

Arc’teryx Backpack and Toque (valued at $200)

Gift Basket by Gourmet Warehouse (valued at $200)

2 Vancouver Canucks tickets

SUNDAY

$500 Aritzia Gift Card

2 PNE Fright Nights tickets

2 Vancouver Canucks tickets

SPECIAL FOOD COLLABORATIONS

BAO BEI BRASSERIE X THE BOSS BAKERY

Crispy Pork Bolo Bao
Bao Bei crispy pork belly, cilantro root sauce, compressed cucumbers, the Boss pineapple bun
Available at Bao Bei from 12:00 pm 4:00 pm (take out only) and 5:30 pm until sold out

DD MAU X BOBA RUN

Korean Watermelon Che Thai
A dessert is made with a blend of cold pressed watermelon juice, coconut milk, hand-scooped watermelon balls, and an assortment of bright and colorful Vietnamese toppings! Take out only!
Available at DD Mau on Sept 9-10.

KAM WAI X TREASURE GREEN TEA CO.

Rose Tea Sesame Bao
A fluffy and aromatic Yunnan Rose Tea infused bao with coconut milk wrapped around a sweet and slightly bitter toasted black sesame filling; the perfect balance to the floral rose and sweet coconut flavour.
Available at Kam Wai Dim Sum from 9 am to 6 pm 

CHINATOWN BBQ X BEAUCOUP BAKERY

Bolo BBQ Pork (Char Siew) Cruffin
Features Beaucoup Bakery’s renowned butter croissant pastry, brioche, onions, crunchy bolo bun cookie, and of course, Chinatown BBQ’s popular honey glazed BBQ pork.

Available at Chinatown BBQ from 1 pm until sold out on Sept 9-10

Bolo Bao with Crispy Pork by Bao Bei Brasserie and The Boss Bakery

CHINATOWN LIVE!

MAIN STAGE AT INTERSECTION OF COLUMBIA & KEEFER ST
THANK YOU TO OUR MAIN STAGE SPONSOR ODLUM BROWN

SAT, SEPT 9TH

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Opening Ceremony
Chris GaiIus, Global BC & Karen So, OMNI TV (MC’s); Hon. Janet Austin, OBC, Lieutenant Governor of BC; Hon. Harjit Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the PacifiCan;  Hon. David Eby, Premier of BC; Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver; and VIP guests, with Hon Hsing Athletic Club and Goh Ballet

12:45 PM – 1:15 PM
Colours of Dance Academy
Diverse Chinese dances performed by students from the academy.

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Rosa Cheng
Captivating Cantonese opera performance by talented and renowned performer  

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Astral String Quartet
Vancouver-based string quartet – Winners of 2023 Friends of Chamber Music Young Musicians Competition.

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble
Classically trained instrumentalists playing selections from its vast repertoire of classical, popular and contemporary music. 

5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Herbert and Friends
Live band performance by multi-instrumentalist Herbert and his friends. 

6:15 PM – 6:20 PM, 7:40–7:45PM
AoE
Friends turned K-pop dance group sharing their passion and happiness for dance.

7:00 PM – 7:30 PM
JoJo and the Dynamix Band
Vibe along to mixes of music from different eras and genres, perfect for audiences of all ages.  

8:15 PM – 9:00 PM
DJ May Q
This Vancouver’s upcoming DJ will take you on a sonic journey spliced with afro beats, nu disco, funky house, and classic favorites with an unexpected twist.

SUN, SEPT 10TH

12:00 PM- 12:30 PM
Lorita Leung Dance Academy
A showcase of different dance styles including classical, folk, ethnic, and contemporary. 

1:15 PM – 1:45 PM
Jilian Tam
Be blown away by the Canadian opera-singer’s amazing voice! 

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Madison Reunion Band
Get ready to rock n’ roll along to a well loved local band of over 20 years. 

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Now or Never Crew
Hip-Hop/breakdancing crew – Winners of Battle of The Year and the 2010 Winter Olympics

5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
Kristina Lao
The interdisciplinary artist from Hong Kong will close the festival with her breath-catching choruses. She will be performing with Emilyn, Rob Thomson, Ken Chan and Daniel Lew.

BAR AREA

Our festival site on 500-block Columbia Street is licensed. Our bar is located in front of the Sun Yat-Sen Park (free section) entrance, next to the Odlum Brown Main Stage on Keefer Street.

MENU

BEER
Stanley Park Brewing Park Sesh Lager
Stanley Park Brewing Wazypoint Hazy Pale Ale
Tsingtao Lager

WINE
Van Mak Original Rice Wine (Makgeolli)
Van Mak Chestnut Rice Wine (Makgeolli)
Grow Wild White Wine
Grow Wild Red Wine

CANNED COCKTAILS
White Claw Citrus Yuzu Smash Hard Seltzer
White Claw Strawberry Hard Seltzer

NON-ALCOHOLIC
Vitasoy Lemon Tea
Vitasoy Original
Bottled Water

See pricing here. Proceeds will go towards the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, a registered charity dedicated to the revitalization of the neighbourhood. Please enjoy responsibly.

ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES

  • Magic show by the renowned Rod Chow
  • Balloon animals by Yanping Zhou
  • Lanterns by Charles Chan
  • Cotton candy for sale!

Bob Sung of A Wok Around Chinatown will be offering 35-minute walking tours of our neighbourhood. Priced at $15 per person, your tour will include a special tasting.

Featured on National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, Global TV and more, Bob’s popular tours are usually priced at $90. Don’t miss your chance to explore Chinatown with Bob!

Proceeds from the walking tours will go towards the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, a registered charity dedicated to the revitalization of the neighbourhood.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Our work at the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation is made possible by the generous contributions from our sponsors. We are so proud to be partnering with these incredible organizations and we are deeply grateful for the support they are providing to our community celebration and programming.

Presented By

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Aquilini Group

Axiom Builders

Beedie

Lowtide Properties

Main Stage Sponsor

Bronze Sponsors

Anthem Properties

EasyPark

Simon Fraser University

Tom Lee Music

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

Windsor Plywood Foundation

With Support From

Media Sponsors

In Partnership With

INTERACTIVE MAPS

Explore Chinatown’s specialty offerings and promotions this weekend!

Click below for a Chinatown Passport Stamp Location Map and a Light Up Chinatown! Festival Map, which includes all neighbourhood promotions.