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Vancouver Chinatown

3.0 (53 reviews)
Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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Chinatown Plaza
Shonah M.

Ok so Chinatown - Vancouver is old, dirty, grungy, smelly, bizzare, sad, poor & more! Coming down here will have you asking yourself, 'why on earth am I here?' I will write about the 'good' as we go along a little later - so please have an open mind & keep on reading. Like most Chinatowns ie - San Fran & Manhattan - they do leave one feeling like - a lot is still to be desired! Holding onto the past of a bygone era, can be a stretch in today's fast moving times! Given Chinatowns symbolic historical significance - however, there's a difference between classic beautiful history vs old, neglected & just plain abandoned history! Dilapidated buildings, dirty streets, rampant open drug use (you will see people using needles) & drug paraphernalia, homelessness, nasty rude disgusting piss smells along with other vileness coming from the alleys, many shops are closed - even pre Coronavirus, are examples of what one will experience here! Do you really see yourself coming here to get your Ginseng, Ginger & other traditional Chinese medicines!?? Do not park your fancy car in this area at night - maybe even not during the day! A common site curbside is broken window glass! Park at your own risk - ALERT be warned!!! The two main malls - International Village Mall & Chinatown Plaza will leave you with a feeling of utter pity over this sadness! The vagabond of characters hanging around the International Village, will cause you to clutch your wallet!!! Check out this hard hitting reality check about Vancouvers downtown eastside by none other than - Snoop Dogg! Side note - I have actually never seen him perform live. Back in 2016 on one of his many trips up here to perform, he flew into YVR Airport & was sent to secondary screening & he cleared customs with no issues. However, that night when he was driving to perform at Fortune Sound Club, he had the misfortune of turning onto one of Chinatowns notorious alleys on his way to the club, which lead to his rant - check out this clip! https://www.straight.com/blogra/680536/snoop-dogg-takes-drive-down-downtown-eastside-alley-and-has-words-clean-needles-drug How about the Chinatown merchants banding together & coming up with a plan to spruce up their neighbourhood!?? Involve younger community leaders & seek input from them but most of all - listen to them!!!!! Add colour, brighter signage, play music on the streets, have guidance maps/indicators at every street corner - just do something anything to liven it up - please! Heck bring back the Neon signs that once vibrated throughout Chinatown giving it life! Sadly many merchants fled Chinatown years ago, with their businesses to Richmond, Burnaby & other parts of Metro Vancouver. Doing nothing is really turning our Chinatown into a dinasour relic = heading fast towards extinction - very sad! For the amount of locals & tourists that do come down to Chinatown for a visit, I seriously wonder how many more do not - as they're too spooked to visit!!! Don't believe me - go & take a walk about here - then come back at me! However, I do ask that you walk on Columbia St, Gore Ave, Hastings St, pause for 15 mins at Hastings & Main, & try the alleyway between Pender & Hastings running between Main & Columbia - I dare you to!!! Yikes! Chinatown feels like it's being run by an older generation that will die off without having passed on their talents, knowledge & skills to keep it running. So all the above was the nasty grungy, grimy part about Chinatown. Now for the good ..... There are several really good restaurants here however, many are still closed due to the Coronavirus hangover! Some unfortunately will probably never reopen due to bankruptcy. Check out my reviews for Kissa Tanto, Sai Woo, Juke (Southern styled fried chicken) & Kokomo (for healthy food). Try New Town Bakery (get your pork steamed buns here - bakery was featured on Netflix - Always Be My Maybe) a very popular joint for locals & tourists. Also of note - Bao Bei, Chinatown BBQ, Phnom Penh Restaurant & Floata Seafood Restaurant. Many Chinese seniors make daily pilgrimages to Chinatown for food & social activities. Cultural History Buffs will be amazed at the architectural structures that takes one back in time. The Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden at the Chinese Cultural Centre is quite impressive - if gardens is your thing. It's super easy to walk around Chinatowns closely linked blocks. Yes it is safe - but one must be aware of what goes on down here on these streets! So be aware, be alert, be safe & lookout!!! It's upsetting to witness this culturally rich historical area go by the wayside! You might ask with good reason after reading this review - is it worth my time going to Chinatown? I'd say sure if you have a plan & a purpose for being down there - go for it! It's raw, it's rough, it's tough & it's all a part of the Downtown Eastside! I hope for a better future for our dearly beloved Chinatown!

Kevin C.

You must have heard of the unsafe environment along East Hastings, and unfortunately the so-called Chinatown here really explains the reason why. This "Chinatown" exists in name only. Unlike the other lively Chinatowns in North America, the Vancouver one is eerily quiet with a very tense atmosphere. There were no stores, restaurants, bubble tea shops, or anything you'd expect to see from Chinatown, other than the Millennium Gate and the road signs telling you that it's supposed to be Chinatown. I would not recommend coming here, there's nothing to see. One special point of interest is the Sam Kee Building, the world's narrowest commercial building. However, I was so focused on leaving that I just took some quick photos and left. The nearby Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden may be worth a visit. There are more things to check out in Vancouver. You want to see the real Chinatown in Vancouver? Most people go to Richmond. Quite disappointing that Vancouver officials just let this place remain the way it is, especially at the core of downtown. Really drags down the city's image.

Geri C.

We last visited here 27 years ago when it was a bustling place. It's shocking to see how time has withered it so much that it has become a deserted, unrecognizable ghost of its vibrant past. Although we saw restaurants and shops open for business amidst dilapidated buildings, the environment didn't look inviting. We felt unsafe to even drive by after seeing a lot of seemingly unsavory characters roaming the vicinity, especially on peripheral streets, probably high on drug. Very sad to witness this urban decay and the deterioration of an erstwhile landmark.

Inside one of the shops
Kristin U.

Okay, so I really love walking around Chinatown when I'm visiting Vancouver. There are so many interesting shops and things to see! I enjoy popping into the market and grocery stores and seeing what's for sale... even if I can't even identify what everything is. There are some great tea shops, fun spots for cheap souvenirs, and I happened upon a really neat flower / plant shop that also had a fascinating assortment of random odds and ends that made me smile. Definitely visit Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Garden for a peaceful park area when you're in Chinatown. In terms of safety concerns and such as mentioned in other reviews -- Some portions of Chinatown are better than others. And no, I definitely wouldn't go walking around there by myself later in the evening. But it would be a shame to not visit Chinatown at all if you've never been! Just go with a friend or group and be aware of your surroundings. You may have to turn down someone asking for change (I did this twice on my last visit), but that happens other places as well. Maybe do what I did on my last visit-- start in Chinatown and walk to Gastown after for a relaxing afternoon and evening of exploration, shopping, and yummy treats.

Annette H.

So disappointing!! I remember coming to Vancouver Chinatown back in 2003-2004 and absolutely loved it here. So when we were planning our trip to Vancouver, Chinatown was a must-see on our list. While browsing the Yelp reviews prior to going, I did notice all the negative 1 or 2 stars, but figured people were just extra picky and had too high of expectations. After experiencing it myself today, I'd say the Yelpers had it spot on. This place has gone downhill and is very different than in the past. It definitely is a "ghost town" compared to how it used to be. It is no longer like your traditional Chinatown with the busy hustle and bustle of long lines of fun stores to buy souvenirs like you see in San Francisco, Chicago or even Asia. There were a small handful of souvenir shops that we observed were completely devoid of customers. We went into one that looked promising and chuckled at some of the funny T-shirts. But after the owner snapped at my husband, "NO PHOTOS!" we decided to take our business elsewhere. The majority of the stores we saw were for dried/preserved produce like jujubees/dates, shrimp, mushrooms, persimmons, herbs etc. A few bakeries and a few restaurants as well. At first we thought that maybe we were on the wrong street or wrong area because it didn't seem like the Chinatown we had remembered in the past. So we just kept walking and walking, hoping to find the streets we had remembered with all the fun shops. All of a sudden, we noticed a lot more homeless people on the street and some of the "shady" characters that fellow Yelpers had mentioned. We realized uh oh, I think we're officially out of Chinatown and in the slums. My husband said it reminded him of the SF Tenderloin area. Turns out Hastings is a street to stay away from. One Yelper called it the "Skid Row" of the area. Definitely felt myself holding on to my handbag tighter and walking quickly back the way we had come from. Now I know why there are so many warnings about being careful not to come by yourself, especially in the late afternoons and evenings. So if you're looking for great Asian restaurants and stores in the area, I'd head to the Richmond area that's probably about 10 miles (30 minute drive, roughly). Unfortunately we'll have to cross off Vancouver Chinatown from our list of places to visit in the future.

Mel M.

I've been to many Chinatown's. Why do they always look sketchy? Same feeling here. I feel like I'm 2.5 seconds away from being in the middle of a real life video of "Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting." Feel like any second someone is going to do a double back flip off a car and challenge me for my dim sum. I came. Took a few pics of what I wanted to see and headed straight out. Be extra aware of your surroundings here and especially on Hastings. That must be the skid row of Vancouver. Lots of sketchy people lingering about in this Chinatown. They look like they're up to no good. I wouldn't recommend hanging out here for your safety. Come and see what you want to and leave. Enjoy the rest of the city. Mel M Yelp 18:24

Richard L.

This Chinatown is pretty weak when compared to other one in the world. They basically only for tourist visit and just not much to do there. If you want more of true Chinese cuisine then you should head to richmond not here.

Justine S.

Was told by so many people to watch my step when coming into chinatown as it isn't safe for women alone. With that in mind, I stuck to the more commercial areas and didn't wander around too much or too far and so I was safe both times I visited. But because of this, I didn't get to see much of what makes this a nice chinatown compared to other places. It felt very barren and abandoned. Not my favourite area of Vancouver but loved the gong cha, new town bakery, T&T, and the chinese garden!

Janna L.

You cannot come to Vancouver and not come to Chinatown. So central to everything, we walked from Pan Pacific/Coal Harbour. Best deals for souvenirs, have lunch and go to a real China Tea House. You will see some colorful characters around for sure. Always police action. No sure I would want to live here in Chinatown but it is interesting. Lots of shops and friendly merchants. Some of the older generation though, still do not speak English so you may find a language barrier here and there. Hastings St even by day in certain areas to get here is a trip. The skid row of Vancouver. Open air drug market. At night especially, if you find yourself here, just be aware of your surroundings and walk with purpose.

Entryway
Kevin W.

Vancouver Chinatown was a disappointment since they are supposed to have a large asian community. Pretty lack luster as far as eventfulness. No liveliness like other ones. Sketchy when it gets closer to night time, but I have seen worse. Street parking. Typical shops, groceries, and souvenirs. Only gem during the visit was the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Everything else was a bust.

Jenn G.

Vancouver Chinatown is Canada's largest Chinatown. I was lucky enough to be staying at a hotel that was only a couple blocks away from here. The moment I stepped in to the area, I instantly saw a variety of souvenir shops and restaurants. The souvenir shops here are great! They have some of the same stuff you can find at other tourist attractions and at the airport but for a much more affordable price. I also spotted a lot of hello kitty! (This put a big smile on this hello kitty fan's face!) As for the restaurants, they have a lot! From traditional Chinese to Asian fusion, they got it here. You'll end up pretty hungry after circling the Chinatown streets and smelling the sweet aroma from the bakeries or the savory aroma from the Chinese deli. There's also a couple stores selling Asian herbs and groceries. I walked into one little grocery selling fruit but it was a little pricey. Vancouver Chinatown is a good place for shopping and strolling! It was one stop that I'm glad I got to make during my trip to Vancouver.

Lily Z.

The Chinatown here is not that impressive, but anything is better than the abomination called DC Chinatown. For a more authentic experience, head outside of downtown to Richmond or Barnaby. As a naive tourist, I walked through a certain part of Hasting on my way from Gastown to Chinatown. Good thing I wasnt by myself. Statistically it's probably safer than most rough neighborhoods in the US, but it was still scary and uncomfortable to see so many drug addicts and homeless people sprawling on the dirtiest street I have ever seen. It was also jarring to see that level of poverty only a few streets down from the expensive touristy areas of Vancouver.

Sign
Andrea U.

A few blocks away from Chinatown looked sketchy. We saw the monuments, lots of restaurants and shops, and went into the beautiful Dr. Sun Yat Sen Park.

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It's a pretty sketchy area. We were advised by our concierge not to go there after dark. And also to stay on main streets. Too bad.

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I love Chinatown!!! Love their bakeries and fresh fruits....

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Vancouver Chinatown Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Vancouver Chinatown

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Trans Am Totem

Trans Am Totem

5.0(2 reviews)
0.4 kmDowntown

The City of Vancouver, as part of its every-other-year Biennale, commissions artists to bring their…read morecreativity to the city. Installed in March 2015 in eastern Vancouver, the Trans-Am Totem has quickly become the great BC city's must-sees. I won't get into all the possible interpretations and grad-schooleque "merging of consumerism and nature" or "metaphor of recurring consumerism" or "throwaway consumer culture" talk and just give a run-down. Located near the Georgia Viaduct, Vancouver artist Marcus Bowcott has given us a 33-foot (10 m)-high, 25,000-pound (11,340 kg) sculpture. Simply put, it's a stump of an old-growth cedar tree topped with five cars. At the top is the car that gives this sculpture its name: a 1981 Pontiac Trans Am. Then there's a BMW 7 Series, a Honda Civic, a Volkswagen Golf Mk1 Cabriolet, and a Mercedes-Benz ... all donated by a local scrapyard. While the Trans Am Totem is perfectly viewable while driving down the road, I highly recommend parking and viewing it up close and personal ... it really accentuates the experience. Its location on a grassy median where Pacific Boulevard turns into Quebec Street does not make up-close viewing ideal, but well worth the extra effort. One of great things about modern art is the capability of grand scope ... it took gigantic moving trucks to get everything here and cranes with a construction crew to get it all in place. It's a real site to see!

I pass this sculpture regularly and, like Seattle's "Freemont Troll" or "Gum Alley", this towering…read moretotem pole is definitely a whimsical oddity of sorts, one that people either love or detest. Personally, I love it. I think it funky and odd and comical. Until fairly recently, the headlights on the uppermost vehicle lit up at night. I'm not sure why they no longer do so, but I hope the City fixes this minor issue, as this feature truly enhances the novelty of the work when viewed at nighttime. I've read a few articles about this piece in the past year. I had no idea how controversial this totem pole was; many people take offense at the use of an indigenous people's symbol (the totem pole), used in a contemporary, artsy, funky way. I guess it's not PC to use indigenous symbols in art in this way. I guess this work is polarizing (emphasis on "pole" - get it? My weak attempt at humor here!). In my opinion, any artwork worth its weight in salt elicits dialogue and conversation and debate. In this way, I think this work is successful. Another note to pass on: I read that this totem pole is going to be moved this year to another location (as yet to be decided). So if you're interested in checking this eclectic piece out, I'd recommend doing so soon before it's moved to God-knows-where.

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Trans Am Totem
Trans Am Totem

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Annual Chinese New Year Parade

Annual Chinese New Year Parade

4.4(5 reviews)
0.2 kmChinatown

Came here for the Chinese New Year Parade. I have to say the parade got bigger and bigger and to…read morethe point it takes like 3 hours to run down the whole thing. Well if you are at the end of the parade and its schedule to start at 11, you won't start until 12:30. Yes its that big. You also have the cadet and the Canadian army in it as well. If its on a rainy day the parade will still go on. Its interesting to see so many people supporting it. I don't recommend driving because there are road blockage and as well its hard to find a parking spot. Getting down by skytrain or bus is the best option. Interestingly City of Vancouver cleans the street about 1.5 hours after the parade finish. Very efficient!

Amazing, impressive, fascinating event, it's been decades since I've gone…read more Cleverly, I parked near the 'finish line'' by Rogers arena, then walked towards the many different focus groups, this way, they walked towards me so great for pics. Wished there was more music and food. even the Sikh motorcycle group was represented. Many lion dance clubs, for which i'll review later, as I prefer to legitimately include full address and phone numbers (unlike someone). Seriously, I caught the tail end of it, arrived 45 min so by 1:30pm, wrapping up. Saw martial arts, last name associations societies which will even pump out more reviews if I feel like it, classical dance, kids groups.... Over 100,000 turnout. All the way from Main St and Quebec blocked off. Some action and magic show at Keefer Place too.

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Annual Chinese New Year Parade
Annual Chinese New Year Parade
Annual Chinese New Year Parade

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Ask For Luigi - rigatoni alla bolognese

Ask For Luigi

4.1(587 reviews)
0.6 kmDowntown Eastside
$$

This might be one of the best Italian restaurants I have been to, and my first experience here was…read moreunforgettable. This was my first stop after having just landed in Vancouver. I had secured a weekday lunch reservation a few weeks prior in anticipation, which I highly recommend. The staff was incredibly friendly when we arrived, and we were seated moments later. The inside was quite full (a good sign), cozy, with all the tables in close proximity, but it provided a very inviting atmosphere. To start I ordered the Fried Cauliflower and Sourdough bread based on other recommendations I had seen, which both lived up to the hype. My wife and I had to stop ourselves before the main course, the rigatoni alla bolognese, arrived at our table. It was perfectly portioned, still steaming as we devoured the last few bites. Our waitress was even kind enough to provide us some other recommendations in the neighborhood to try during our trip, as it was our first time in the city. Prices were more than fair for quality of what we received. Though parking might not be the easiest, and reservations are in high demand, it's worth the wait. Whenever I find myself back in Vancouver, I'll always Ask For Luigi.

Insane. Still thinking about the ravioli. My boyfriend has celiac and they had plenty of amazing…read moreoptions including homemade gluten free pasta. I'm from Boston and this place blows nearly every Italian spot out of the water. Cocktails are premade in bottles. I do wish they had a full service bar.

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Ask For Luigi - Inside

Inside

Ask For Luigi - Radicchio Salad! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

Radicchio Salad! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

Ask For Luigi - Salad and foccacia bread.

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Salad and foccacia bread.

Vancouver Chinatown - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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