Canada's Oldest Chinatown is in Victoria, B.C. — Home to North America's Narrowest Commercial Street
Like
Save
【Attraction Tickets】Vancouver Aquarium Admission Ticket (Vancouver Aquarium)
【1-Day Tour Routes】Vancouver Ocean is Yours Jet Ski Tour
【Attraction Tickets】Vancouver Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus + Evening City Tour Package
Canada's Oldest Chinatown is in Victoria, B.C. — Home to North America's Narrowest Commercial Street
Victoria's Chinatown holds the title of Canada's oldest. Born in the 1850s amid the Fraser River Gold Rush, it was one of the earliest Chinese communities in North America, established by wealthy San Francisco merchants who arrived at Fort Victoria.
According to the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society (VCMS), the historic district is the only one on the continent that still has its original 19th-century buildings and labyrinth-like alleyways intact.
Both the VCMS and Parks Canada recognise the area's exceptional heritage value.
How Victoria's Chinatown Came to Be
In its earliest days, merchants set up shop near Centennial Square, soon followed by labourers from San Francisco and China who were sent to pan for gold to supply those stores.
By 1862, Fort Victoria had become the City of Victoria, home to 5,000 residents including about 300 Chinese immigrants who settled downtown near Cormorant and Fisgard Streets.
The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1886 turned Granville Village (soon to become Vancouver) into Canada's premier West Coast port.
The 1911 national census recorded 3,559 Chinese residents in Vancouver and 3,458 in Victoria, making the latter Canada's second-largest Chinese settlement at the time.
Parks Canada notes, however, that Victoria actually had the largest Chinese population in the country through the first decade of the 20th century.
In 1955, Victoria's Chinatown was designated a national historic site.
Today the neighbourhood's buildings retain their picturesque arcades, famously narrow passageways and enclosed courtyards, reflecting the deep heritage of Chinese Canadians in British Columbia.
North America's Narrowest Commercial Street
The star attraction is Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest commercial street on the continent. Less than three feet wide at its tightest point, the alley is now packed with independent shops and galleries: record store The Turntable, a cluster of gift and speciality shops, Friends and Family Bake, and vintage clothing boutique The Faraway.
The food in Chinatown, naturally, is hard to beat.
Whatever brings you, Victoria's historic Chinatown — with its one-of-a-kind architecture, street layout and storefronts — is absolutely worth the visit.
Victoria's Chinatown
Where: Victoria, B.C.
【Attraction Tickets】Vancouver Fly Over Canada Experience Ticket
【Attraction Tickets】Vancouver VanDusen Botanical Garden
%3c/title%3e%3cg%20id='页面-1'%20stroke='none'%20stroke-width='1'%20fill='none'%20fill-rule='evenodd'%3e%3cg%20id='门票-PC版'%20transform='translate(-380.000000,%20-936.000000)'%3e%3cg%20id='biaoti--(1)'%20transform='translate(380.000000,%20936.000000)'%3e%3cpath%20d='M29.2924678,10.0515624%20L20.0320722,0.710853928%20C19.0922202,-0.236951309%2017.5719019,-0.236951309%2016.6316885,0.710853928%20L6.60688654,10.8228609%20C6.22124946,11.3929134%206.21858367,12.1449499%206.60001872,12.7172846%20L16.8634322,23.0726673%20C17.6753259,23.8880583%2018.985272,23.8880583%2019.7934607,23.0726673%20L29.2924678,13.4912761%20C30.2358441,12.5400475%2030.2358441,11.0031561%2029.2924678,10.0515624%20Z'%20id='Fill-1'%20fill='%2338ACFF'%3e%3c/path%3e%3cpath%20d='M7.32022794,13.4600612%20C6.44543588,12.5674601%206.44543588,11.1167505%207.32022794,10.2241494%20L11.8421053,5.60872924%20L10.0964389,3.82734556%20C9.22214789,2.93474446%207.80087842,2.93474446%206.92626857,3.82734556%20L0.655718222,10.2241494%20C-0.218572741,11.1167505%20-0.218572741,12.5674601%200.655718222,13.4600612%20L6.92289751,19.856865%20C7.79714291,20.7494661%209.21895905,20.7494661%2010.0932045,19.856865%20L11.838552,18.0754813%20L7.32022794,13.4600612%20Z'%20id='Fill-3'%20fill='%238AD2FF'%3e%3c/path%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Related products
More guides
'%20fill='%23FFFFFF'%20fill-rule='nonzero'%3e%3cg%20id='编组-21'%20transform='translate(-0.000000,%203463.000000)'%3e%3cg%20id='编组-20'%20transform='translate(1.000000,%200.000000)'%3e%3cg%20id='icon_笑脸-线'%20transform='translate(816.000000,%2030.000000)'%3e%3cpath%20d='M19.21303,6.10470121%20C18.2037939,3.71403528%2016.2952466,1.8054106%2013.8906615,0.782116903%20C11.4027873,-0.260705634%208.59416917,-0.260705634%206.10629501,0.782116903%20C4.91666008,1.28572876%203.83723503,2.01342091%202.92805438,2.92472122%20C1.04614471,4.80688405%20-0.00655231541,7.35002886%203.06899824e-05,9.99827546%20C-0.00794350862,14.002809%202.39392443,17.6273163%206.10767507,19.2148894%20C7.3381427,19.7347973%208.66245796,20.0018927%2010.0003183,19.9999899%20C12.6582825,20.0035648%2015.2058681,18.9480672%2017.0689021,17.0713743%20C17.9861712,16.1605967%2018.7148343,15.0808699%2019.21303,13.8936713%20C20.2623233,11.4012434%2020.2623233,8.59712911%2019.21303,6.10470121%20L19.21303,6.10470121%20Z%20M18.5864902,9.99690929%20C18.5841901,14.7315867%2014.7315681,18.5841759%2010.0003183,18.5841759%20C5.26630843,18.5841759%201.41506647,14.7315867%201.41506647,9.99690929%20C1.41506647,5.26086575%205.26630843,1.40918727%2010.0003183,1.40918727%20C14.7343282,1.40873188%2018.5864902,5.26086575%2018.5864902,9.99690929%20Z'%20id='形状'%3e%3c/path%3e%3cpath%20d='M6.05201331,8.95224739%20C6.83127798,8.95224739%207.46655809,8.31834619%207.46655809,7.53963133%20C7.46655809,6.76091647%206.83127798,6.12747066%206.05201331,6.12747066%20C5.27320865,6.12747066%204.64160864,6.7600057%204.64160864,7.53735438%20C4.63743561,7.91062437%204.78408398,8.270074%205.04894631,8.53577921%20C5.31380865,8.80148442%205.67492953,8.95141992%206.05201331,8.95224739%20L6.05201331,8.95224739%20Z%20M13.9500034,8.97957071%20C14.726508,8.97957071%2015.359488,8.3456695%2015.359488,7.56832083%20C15.359488,6.78687364%2014.726508,6.15297242%2013.9500034,6.15297242%20C13.1711987,6.15297242%2012.5359186,6.78687362%2012.5359186,7.56832083%20C12.5359186,8.3456695%2013.1711987,8.97957071%2013.9500034,8.97957071%20Z%20M15.1078601,12.139969%20C14.7924485,11.915954%2014.3543915,11.9800345%2014.1179087,12.2847826%20C13.1707387,13.5571389%2011.6301499,14.3135397%2010.0003183,14.3135397%20C8.37002671,14.3135397%206.82943792,13.5571389%205.88410798,12.2870596%20C5.64808665,11.9810113%205.20927089,11.9156996%204.89277659,12.1395136%20C4.57951444,12.3738969%204.51529087,12.8142693%204.74879203,13.1267965%20C5.34212496,13.922147%206.11410645,14.5700647%207.00378343,15.0193924%20C8.88588273,15.9647756%2011.1106138,15.9647756%2012.9927131,15.0193924%20C13.8835983,14.5695462%2014.6569145,13.92123%2015.2518446,13.1254304%20C15.4818519,12.8130337%2015.4179099,12.375405%2015.1078601,12.139969%20L15.1078601,12.139969%20Z'%20id='形状'%3e%3c/path%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
'%3e%3cg%20id='编组-26'%20transform='translate(1682.000000,%201051.000000)'%3e%3ccircle%20id='椭圆形'%20fill='url(%23linearGradient-1)'%20cx='30'%20cy='30'%20r='30'%3e%3c/circle%3e%3cg%20id='客服'%20transform='translate(14.000000,%2012.000000)'%20fill='%23FFFFFF'%20fill-rule='nonzero'%3e%3cpath%20d='M23.139712,32.8694615%20C23.0243663,33.9087509%2022.2900098,34.7706057%2021.2891951,35.0412633%20L18.0476443,35.9180006%20C16.7097139,36.2683278%2015.3422219,35.4641013%2014.9844463,34.1165239%20C14.6266708,32.7689465%2015.4124959,31.3822989%2016.7447036,31.0104172%20L19.9862544,30.1336799%20C20.8331551,29.9041779%2021.737345,30.1363734%2022.3726019,30.7464927%20C24.8216791,29.7521616%2026.8802401,27.9748183%2028.2328984,25.6867646%20L27.4067797,25.6867646%20C24.9354154,25.6867646%2022.9322035,23.6648493%2022.9322035,21.1704104%20L22.9322035,16.6540562%20C22.9322035,14.1596173%2024.9354154,12.137702%2027.4067797,12.137702%20L28.5254238,12.137702%20C28.6867882,12.137702%2028.8464746,12.1461701%2029.0036441,12.1631065%20C27.293517,7.07656252%2022.3505086,3.38726566%2016.5,3.38726566%20C10.6494919,3.38726566%205.70648348,7.07656252%203.99635639,12.1631065%20C4.15352588,12.1461701%204.31321232,12.137702%204.47457672,12.137702%20L5.59322077,12.137702%20C8.06458514,12.137702%2010.067797,14.1596173%2010.067797,16.6540562%20L10.067797,21.1704104%20C10.067797,23.6648493%208.06458514,25.6867646%205.59322077,25.6867646%20L4.47457672,25.6867646%20C2.00321236,25.6867646%200,23.6648493%200,21.1704104%20L0,16.6540562%20C0,16.5360664%200.00447510069,16.4192058%200.0131445921,16.3034742%20C0.00433474352,16.232501%200,16.1610399%200,16.0895119%20C0,7.18862456%207.40150888,0%2016.5,0%20C25.5984916,0%2033,7.18862456%2033,16.0895119%20C33,16.1620558%2032.9955254,16.2334707%2032.9868559,16.3034742%20C32.9955254,16.4192058%2033,16.5360664%2033,16.6540562%20L33,21.1704104%20C33,22.6797195%2032.2667288,24.0157136%2031.1399746,24.8359964%20C29.6761543,28.5069437%2026.7841947,31.4109054%2023.139712,32.8694615%20L23.139712,32.8694615%20Z'%20id='路径'%3e%3c/path%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
'%3e%3cg%20id='编组-28'%20transform='translate(1682.000000,%201121.000000)'%3e%3ccircle%20id='椭圆形备份-2'%20fill='url(%23linearGradient-1)'%20cx='30'%20cy='30'%20r='30'%3e%3c/circle%3e%3cg%20id='电话'%20transform='translate(13.000000,%2013.000000)'%20fill='%23FFFFFF'%20fill-rule='nonzero'%3e%3cpath%20d='M33.6821921,30.2461546%20L32.0856631,31.837563%20C31.4335904,32.4881786%2030.6232405,33.0074431%2029.671634,33.384009%20C28.6256363,33.8004465%2027.4505065,34%2026.1947808,34%20C21.3730567,34.0022143%2013.753793,29.5065467%208.70469844,24.4718343%20C2.33929522,18.1242322%20-1.47463066,9.39000338%200.541004575,4.33791995%20C0.835564238,3.59815655%201.24448921,2.94070137%201.73113444,2.36314497%20L1.72981321,2.36054124%20L1.83325883,2.1935543%20C1.87930807,2.11808567%201.93305159,2.04984529%201.99367338,1.98933826%20L3.66897177,0.32016841%20C4.09355739,-0.106722803%204.78347984,-0.106722803%205.20794884,0.32016841%20L5.96226253,1.07186222%20L12.5334689,7.62589538%20C12.9579768,8.04769573%2012.9579768,8.73480209%2012.5321477,9.15901188%20L10.7752431,10.9133656%20L9.58048888,12.1050469%20C9.58048888,12.1050469%208.95526852,16.1008029%2013.4058785,20.5383729%20C17.856333,24.9739609%2021.8452848,24.3695125%2021.8452848,24.3695125%20L24.8151302,21.4071946%20C25.2396381,20.9829848%2025.9304932,20.9829848%2026.3537575,21.4071946%20L33.6808708,28.7105899%20C34.1061559,29.1351883%2034.1061559,29.8218672%2033.6821921,30.2461546%20L33.6821921,30.2461546%20Z'%20id='路径'%3e%3c/path%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
'%3e%3cg%20id='编组-27'%20transform='translate(1682.000000,%201191.000000)'%3e%3ccircle%20id='椭圆形备份-3'%20fill='url(%23linearGradient-1)'%20cx='30'%20cy='30'%20r='30'%3e%3c/circle%3e%3cg%20id='手机'%20transform='translate(15.000000,%2012.000000)'%20fill='%23FFFFFF'%20fill-rule='nonzero'%3e%3cpath%20d='M25,0%20C27.7613637,0%2030,2.21624998%2030,4.95000002%20L30,31.05%20C30,33.78375%2027.7613637,36%2025,36%20L5,36%20C2.23863635,36%200,33.78375%200,31.05%20L0,4.95000002%20C0,2.21625003%202.23863635,0%205,0%20L25,0%20Z%20M18.6363636,29.25%20L11.3636364,29.25%20C10.6105208,29.25%2010,29.8544156%2010,30.6%20C10,31.3455844%2010.6105208,31.95%2011.3636364,31.95%20L18.6363636,31.95%20C19.3894792,31.95%2020,31.3455844%2020,30.6%20C20,29.8544156%2019.3894792,29.25%2018.6363636,29.25%20Z%20M25,2.7%20L4.99999999,2.7%20C4.39723523,2.7%203.81915815,2.93705289%203.39293911,3.35900975%20C2.96672007,3.78096661%202.72727273,4.35326292%202.72727273,4.95000002%20L2.72727273,25.2%20L27.2727273,25.2%20L27.2727273,4.95000002%20C27.2727273,4.35326292%2027.0332799,3.78096661%2026.6070609,3.35900975%20C26.1808418,2.93705289%2025.6027648,2.7%2025,2.7%20L25,2.7%20Z'%20id='形状'%3e%3c/path%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)