Local Resources

Local Businesses

Visit our directory for more detailed information on local businesses and organizations by location.

Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area Society
Property-owner and business advocacy group supported by the City of Vancouver and property taxes.
Website

Vancouver Chinatown Merchants Association
Business advocacy group formed in 1981.
Website

Community Groups

See our List of Chinatown Associations for the clan, hometown, and benevolent associations, as well as the athletic clubs in and around Chinatown, and contact information to get connected with these groups.

Community Events

Chinatown Celebration Society (Fire Dragon Festival)
Host of the annual Fire Dragon Festival, usually held in August or September of each year.
Website

Chinatown Together
Youth-led organization hosting free intergenerational and cultural events in Chinatown.
Instagram

Powell Street Festival Society
Organization hosting the annual Powell Street Festival and year-round community programming in the historic Paueru Gai neighbourhood and Oppenheimer Park in the Downtown Eastside.
Website

WePress Community Arts Space
Community artspace in the Downtown Eastside providing spaces, equipment, and opportunities for marginalized communities to participate in art-making.
Website

Youth Collaborative for Chinatown (Chinatown Generations Society)
Organization hosting free intergenerational and cultural events in Chinatown including “Hot & Noisy” Mahjong Socials.
Website
Facebook

Community Advocacy

Carnegie Housing Project
Organization working with residents and community organizations in the Downtown Eastside to secure a future for the neighbourhood that serves the needs of its residents.
Website

Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative Society (SRO-C)
Organization working to improve habitability, affordability, safety, health, and housing security for tenants living in privately owned Single Room Occupancy hotels (SROs) who are at risk of eviction and homelessness.
Website

Hogan’s Alley Society
Organization dedicated to the advancement of social, political, economic, and cultural well-being of people of African descent in Vancouver.
Website

Hua Foundation
Organization connecting cultural heritage and social change.
Website

Our Homes Can’t Wait
Organization advocating for tenants’ rights and universal housing, free from unjust surveillance and management.
Facebook

Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users
Organization working to improve the lives of people who use drugs through advocacy, user-based peer support, and education.
Website

Vancouver Chinatown Foundation
Organization focused on the revitalization of Chinatown.
Website

Vancouver Tenants Union
Organization advocating for tenants’ rights and the preservation of affordable housing.
Website

Health and Social Services

Chinese Community Library Services Association
Library of Chinese books and local records, and gathering place for local Chinese seniors.
Website

Clean Air 604
Organization offering air purifiers, masks, and other tools for safer events in Vancouver.
Instagram

Fundamental First Aid
Organization offering First Aid & Naloxone Training courses for individuals and organizations, including at-cost, discounted, or free training for community members, charities, and/or nonprofits.
Website

United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society (S.U.C.C.E.S.S.)
Organization offering programs for new immigrants, seniors, and youth, including housing, language, legal, family, and employment services.
Website

Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice
Organization supporting youth and low-income immigrant seniors in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside through programs focused on seniors’ housing, health, food security, social, and creative needs.
Website

Education

Chinese Schools

Chinese Social Development Society Chinese School
The Chinese Social Development Society offers Chinese classes for children at the kindergarten, primary, and secondary school levels.
Website

S.K. Lee Academy – Chinese Language School (Chinese Cultural Centre)
The Chinese Cultural Centre offers classes in Cantonese and Mandarin for children and adults.
Website

Mon Keang School (Wong’s Benevolent Association)
The Wong’s Benevolent Association, in collaboration with the Youth Collaborative for Chinatown and the UBC Cantonese program, offer beginner adult “survival Cantonese” classes in four- or eight-week terms through Mon Keang School, Chinatown’s oldest Chinese school still in its original location.
Instagram

History & Heritage

Chinatown Society Heritage Buildings Association
Mutual assistance organization formed between Chinatown societies and associations that own heritage buildings with the goal of conserving Chinatown’s built heritage.
Website

Chinatown Sound Map
Collaborative, community-based map of recorded sounds that capture the essence of Chinatown.
Website

Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Museum showcasing the stories of the Chinese Canadian community through Vancouver’s Chinatown.
Website

Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia (CCHSBC)
Organization dedicated to broadening our shared understanding of the histories of those of Chinese descent in British Columbia.
Website

Chinese Canadian Military Museum
Museum highlighting the military achievements and history of the Chinese-Canadian community.
Website

Chinese Canadian Museum
Museum showcasing Chinese Canadian history, contributions, and heritage, arising out of commitments by the provincial government to establish a museum celebrating the Chinese Canadian community.
Website

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Traditional Ming Dynasty-style Chinese garden first opened in 1986.
Website

Heritage Vancouver
Organization promoting public engagement and dialogue on changes to significant aspects of Vancouver’s cultural heritage through events, educational resources, and public advocacy.
Website

Vancouver Heritage Foundation
Organization advancing the appreciation and conservation of Vancouver’s heritage places and their stories through events, workshops, resources, and financial support.
Website

Walking Tours

360 Riot Walk
Website

A Wok Around Chinatown: Walking tours with Robert Sung
Website

Historical Chinatown Tours : Guided tours with Judy Lam Maxwell
Website

Walking Tours of Vancouver with John Atkin
Website

Wonder Walks: Chinatown Walking Tours with Chinatown Wonders
Website