Chinatown Society Heritage Buildings Association

Chinese Societies

Chinese societies are family associations and benevolent societies established by early immigrants to provide social support and general welfare services to their members. They have been a vital part of the Chinatown community for more than 100 years and remain social hubs for the local Chinese-Canadian community. Today, there are close to 50 societies in and around Chinatown, including 12 society-owned heritage buildings.

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Societies with Heritage Buildings 12 Buildings

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Cheng Wing Yeong Tong

鄭滎陽總堂

Brief History The lower two storeys were built in 1911 with Italianate-style brick building. The architects of record are Campbell and Dawson; the drawings, dated 1915, are signed by W.H. Chow, Vancouver’s first Chinese-Canadian architect,…

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Lung Kong Kung Shaw

龍岡親義公所

Brief History According to legend, this association can trace its history to the beginning of an unstable period in Chinese history, during the Han Dynasty, four men with the four different surnames volunteered to join…

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May Wah Hotel

美華旅店

Brief History The May Wah Hotel is of value as an enduring work of Vancouver architect William Frederick Gardiner, as an example of a Vancouver hotel designed after the introduction of the City’s 1910 Lodging…

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Chinese Nationalist League

中國國民黨駐加拿大總支部

Brief History The heritage value of the Nationalist League Building is derived from its longstanding association with the Chinese Nationalist League and, through this, its association with an important aspect of life in most overseas…

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Lim Sai Hor Kow Mock

林西河總堂九牧公所

Brief History The significance of the Lim Sai Hor Kow Mock Benevolent Association Building lies in its ownership history and architecture. It was built in 1903 and originally housed the Chinese Empire Reform Association, founded…

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On The InitiativeWhat we are working on

During the past 10 years CSHBA has assisted our member organizations in conducting feasibility studies to rehabilitate the century old heritage buildings with financial assistance from the City of Vancouver. CSHBA also conducted a survey on the needs of Chinese Canadian artists and artistic organizations in Vancouver. At present we are working towards a solution to support the Chinese Society Legacy Program with financial assistance from Vancity Credit Union and City of Vancouver.

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Initiatives