Historical Chinatown Walking Tour
Victoria, Canada
Trip Type: Historical & Heritage Tours
Duration: 90 minutes
Savor the sights, sounds and stories of Canada's oldest Chinatown on this 90-minute walking tour. Follow in the footsteps of gold miners, merchants, laborers and revolutionaries as you weave your way along Chinatown’s main streets and then into Fan Tan Alley (the city’s most infamous thoroughfare).
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Savor the sights, sounds and stories of Canada's oldest Chinatown on this 90-minute walking tour. Follow in the footsteps of gold miners, merchants, laborers and revolutionaries as you weave your way along Chinatown’s main streets and then into Fan Tan Alley (the city’s most infamous thoroughfare).
Victoria was the supply center for the gold rush and grew to become British Columbia’s largest city before the birth of Vancouver in the 1880's. Victoria’s Chinatown was the home base for thousands of Chinese. Some established their own stores, restaurants, laundries and farms. In the city, some worked as gardeners, servants and cooks in the homes of non-Chinese. Outside the city, many worked for others in the gold fields, coal mines, logging camps and fish canneries. For many years, Victoria had the largest Chinese population in Canada. Today, its Chinese population is small in comparison to other cities, but Victoria will always have the distinction of being home to Canada’s oldest Chinatown.
On your 90-minute walking tour, learn about the history, culture, religion, politics and current issues of Chinatown. Meet your guide at the Bright Pearl Statue, located at the corner of Government and Fisgard Streets. Walking tours take place every Saturday at 10:30am throughout the year and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:30am during June, July and August. As you explore Chinatown, you will have the opportunity to go into one or more buildings, enjoy a tasty Chinese snack and learn some basic Cantonese.
Your guide will shed light on the fascinating and nuanced true story of opium in Victoria. Opium processing was a major component of Victoria’s early economy and many of Chinatown’s most prominent merchants were involved in the opium trade.
You'll also learn about Chinatown's alleys, tunnels, and tong wars. Fan Tan Alley is undoubtedly the most famous place in Chinatown, if not in all of Victoria. Many former gambling dens still exist in Fan Tan Alley. A demonstration of how to play fan tan may be included in your tour.
Victoria was the supply center for the gold rush and grew to become British Columbia’s largest city before the birth of Vancouver in the 1880's. Victoria’s Chinatown was the home base for thousands of Chinese. Some established their own stores, restaurants, laundries and farms. In the city, some worked as gardeners, servants and cooks in the homes of non-Chinese. Outside the city, many worked for others in the gold fields, coal mines, logging camps and fish canneries. For many years, Victoria had the largest Chinese population in Canada. Today, its Chinese population is small in comparison to other cities, but Victoria will always have the distinction of being home to Canada’s oldest Chinatown.
On your 90-minute walking tour, learn about the history, culture, religion, politics and current issues of Chinatown. Meet your guide at the Bright Pearl Statue, located at the corner of Government and Fisgard Streets. Walking tours take place every Saturday at 10:30am throughout the year and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:30am during June, July and August. As you explore Chinatown, you will have the opportunity to go into one or more buildings, enjoy a tasty Chinese snack and learn some basic Cantonese.
Your guide will shed light on the fascinating and nuanced true story of opium in Victoria. Opium processing was a major component of Victoria’s early economy and many of Chinatown’s most prominent merchants were involved in the opium trade.
You'll also learn about Chinatown's alleys, tunnels, and tong wars. Fan Tan Alley is undoubtedly the most famous place in Chinatown, if not in all of Victoria. Many former gambling dens still exist in Fan Tan Alley. A demonstration of how to play fan tan may be included in your tour.
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