Chinese Canadian Museum

Visit Canada’s first and only Chinese Canadian Museum housed inside Vancouver Chinatown’s oldest brick building. Opened in July 2023, the museum tells the stories, histories, and contributions of Chinese Canadians.

This museum is perfect for the entire family, with interactive displays on all three floors of exhibition spaces. Guests can explore the unique Chinese Canadian journeys from the 18th century to present day, learn about the hardships and trials that Chinese Canadians faced during the Chinese Exclusion Act, and immerse themselves in a recreated 1930s living room, while stepping inside the oldest and most historic school rooms in Vancouver.

Feature Exhibition:
The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act

An exhibition that commemorates 100 years since the passing of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, known also as the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada.

The exhibition features hundreds of certificates of identity documents (C.I. certificates) used to track Chinese Canadians during the Chinese Immigration Act – the most ever publicly displayed in an exhibition. The papers also were a constant reminder of a second-class status in Canada.
In partnership with the Chinese Canadian Military Museum and curated by Catherine Clement, this community-sourced exhibition, with a national focus, probes the nature of paperwork and documentation over the contested terrain of history, with a diverse array of families of Chinese descent, from across Canada contributing to the exhibition.

Please allow 1.5 hours to get the most out of your museum experience.