An orchard on the rolling hills near Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley.
Photo courtesy Tourism B.C.
Photo courtesy Tourism B.C.
For food lovers, a stroll through any of Canada's renowned Chinatowns is both inspiring and hunger-inducing. Fresh fruit and vegetable stalls spill out onto the sidewalks, the scent of barbecue lingers in the air, and exotic herbs and mushrooms excite curiosity. Cooks always find something new and inspiring in Chinatown – especially in Vancouver – and there are plenty of good eats along the way.
Vancouver's Chinatown is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011. The area's thriving Chinese community began as a concentrated neighbourhood of Chinese immigrants who came to Canada to build the Canadian Pacific Railroad or to find their fortunes in the B.C. Gold Rush. While its history has been rocky – poverty and discrimination were a harsh reality until a 2000 revitalization project brought harmony and new energy to the area – today Chinatown is vibrant and full of life.
One of the best ways to get a personal, detailed sense of Chinatown's history and culture is to take a walking tour. Robert Sung, owner and operator of A Wok Around Chinatown, offers daily walking tours that combine culture, food, history, a dim sum lunch and a moment of relaxation at a Taoist temple. Starting at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (the only one of its kind in Canada), Robert leads you through herb shops, tea shops, bakeries, green grocers, fishmongers, butcher shops and everything in between, all the while recounting the history of the area.
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