Chinese Canadian Museum Receives $10 Million Boost in Vancouver

The provincial government has announced an additional $10 million in funding for the Chinese Canadian Museum, set to open this summer in the historic Wing Sang Building in Vancouver. The museum will feature both temporary and permanent exhibits, as well as serve as a hub for programming, special events, and educational initiatives.

Current exhibits at the museum’s temporary location at 27 East Pender Street include A Tale of Two Families: Generations of Intercultural Communities and Family Lessons and Seeds to Success: Story of the H.Y. Louie Family.

In 2019, the provincial government committed to establishing a Chinese Canadian Museum, with total funding allocated to date, including this week’s announcement, reaching $48.5 million. In 2022, a $25.5 million investment from the Province went towards purchasing the Wing Sang Building, Chinatown’s oldest building. Constructed in 1889, the building was once owned by Chinese Canadian businessman and pioneer Yip Sang and was expanded in 1900 and 1912.

Vancouver developer Bob Rennie bought and restored the building in 2004, utilizing it as an art space and office.

Chinese Canadian Museum chair Grace Wong expressed her enthusiasm in a statement announcing this week’s funding, saying, “Each step closer to the grand opening of the Chinese Canadian Museum is a step to be celebrated. This museum and its home in the Wing Sang Building help recognize the important contributions and resilience of the Chinese Canadian community and their place in British Columbia’s history. I know the impact of this museum will be felt for generations.”

The Chinese Canadian Museum’s mission statement emphasizes the importance of telling stories through the diverse voices of Chinese Canadians, fostering respect, inclusion, and collaboration among Chinese Canadians, Indigenous peoples, and other settler communities across generations, throughout British Columbia, Canada, and the world.