Sinified

Chinatown
Another giveaway to Vancouver's "Asian-ness" is its Chinatown. Ranking in the top 3 largest Chinatowns in North America (behind San Fransisco and New York), Vancouver's Chinatown is a great place to find wacky medicinal herbs, cheap fruits and vegetables, and random household knickknacks.

My main purpose in visiting Chinatown is to indulge in New Town Bakery's ridiculously delicious bao (steamed buns): steamed pork & vegetable steamed buns, coconut steamed buns, BBQ pork steamed buns, chicken steamed buns. I like to say that I'm Japanese when I eat pork products to not feel any Jewish guilt! Other delights include almond cookies, egg tarts, sponge cake, etc. I usually roll out of this place a few pounds heavier!

On a recent trip to the bakery, I decided to walk off some of the damage within Chinatown itself. For once, it was not raining in Vancouver!

One of the many lantern posts in Chinatown...


Can't remember what the description said...


Inside Sun Yat Sen Gardens (the free side)
with downtown Vancouver as a backdrop...


The inside wall of Sun Yat Sen Gardens...


The outside wall of Sun Yat Sen Gardens...

This year, Chinese New Years falls on Valentine's Day, February 14, and also falls exactly when the Olympics are in Vancouver. Chinese New Years celebrations bring out thousands of Vancouverites yearly and seeming as I plan not to be in the city during the Olympic chaos, I figured I would at least leave you with some photos from two years past to give you an idea of what the celebrations can look like! According to Chinatown Vancouver Online, 30% of Vancouverites are native-Mandarin and Cantonese speakers, making Chinese people Vancouver's largest ethnic group.

The crowds gather for the fun...


The dragon parade at the main entrance...


Performers in the parade and some white kid...


Dancers in the parade...


A very cute boy...


A popular good luck charm stand...


Even Vancouver Police like to be part of the festivities...

Happy Early Chinese New Year!