Vancouver Chinatown was once the bustling centre of the Chinese community.
Many years ago, the place was filled with busy restaurants, cafes, stores,
barbershops and other services. I recall that in the late 60s when we immigrated
to Vancouver, Chinatown was the only place where you could buy Chinese
groceries. Every weekend, my parents would take the family there to shop for
the week’s supplies and to eat at one of the restaurants. A dim sum lunch was
always a favourite which included a large range of small Chinese specialty dishes
traditionally served for brunch with tea.

Over the years, with modernization and development, the focus has moved away
from the original Chinatown and into other communities with malls and plazas
filled with modern stores and supermarkets. With the decline, only a few stores
remain to carry on the tradition of old Chinatown.