Canada’s oldest chinatown is in BC & it’s one of the first in North America

Planning a trip to Victoria this fall? There are plenty of historical landmarks to uncover in British Columbia’s capital city, some of which can be found in the oldest surviving Chinatown in Canada.

According to the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society (VCMS), Victoria’s historic Chinatown is also one of the first in North America, which means it holds a lot of fascinating history. One place visitors can journey to is the famed Fan Tan Alley – AKA the narrowest street in the country.

Here, visitors can step back in time to an era of opium dens and gambling tables, taking in the area’s storied past as well as its transformed lineup of local shops, galleries, and historic displays.

Located on southern Vancouver Island, Victoria’s Chinatown is also the only one in the continent to retain its 19th-century buildings and “labyrinthine features.” This gives the area a high heritage value, according to VCMS and Parks Canada.

History of Victoria’s Chinatown

Dating all the way back to the 1850s during the Fraser River Gold Rush, Victoria’s Chinatown was established following the arrival of wealthy San Francisco merchants at Fort Victoria, who set up stores near Centennial Square. Workers from San Francisco and China soon followed, sent to pan for gold in the Fraser River to supply these shops.

By 1862, Fort Victoria had become the City of Victoria, with a population of 5,000 residents. Of these, 300 were Chinese immigrants who settled in the downtown area near Cormorant and Fisgard Streets – AKA where Canada’s first Chinatown would be born and eventually a National Historic Site in 1955.

Visiting today

Today, the buildings in Chinatown retain their picturesque arcades, famous narrow alleys, and enclosed courtyards, representing the rich heritage of Chinese Canadians in BC.

Visitors can check out a myriad of local shops, restaurants, and galleries, including a record store called The Turntable, a slew of gift shops and specialty stores, Friends and Family Bake, and The Faraway vintage clothing, to name a few.

So a visit here is a trip to some truly incredible nation-wide history! Happy exploring.

Oldest Chinatown in Canada 

How to get there: Take a ferry from Tsawwassen in Vancouver to Swartz Bay in Victoria.

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