As part of the ongoing redesign process for the Chinatown Memorial Square, the City of Vancouver is hosting an open house on Saturday, April 12 from 11:00am-2:00pm. The feedback obtained at the open house and through the online survey (open until April 30, 2025) will help shape the concepts that make it to the public in the fall.
When: Saturday, April 12 from 11:00am to 2:00pm
Where: Chinatown Memorial Square next to 105 Keefer
Cost: Free!
An additional open house will be held at the Chinatown Memorial Square from 5:00pm-8:00pm on Wednesday, April 16 (or at Chinatown Plaza Mall – 180 Keefer Street, in the case of inclement weather).
About the Square
The current design of the Chinatown Memorial Square includes stamped concrete pavers divided by rows of granite blocks matching the granite curbs lining Chinatown’s streets, with power access coming from the concrete bollards that delineate the vehicle lane and echo the design of the nearby Chinese Cultural Centre. Shaded by tulip trees, the triangular square centres on Arthur Shu-Ren Cheng’s Chinatown Memorial Monument, unveiled in 2003. The monument is shaped like the character 中 (zung1 | zhōng), and honours the contributions of Chinese Canadians including through the railroads and the Second World War. As the centrepiece of the square, the monument hosted the City of Vancouver’s 2018 apology for discrimination against the Chinese community and hosts annual Remembrance Day ceremonies.
In addition to serving as a memorial, the square is a lively site of community activation and activism. Hosting the Chinatown Night Market until 2014 and events such as the Youth Collaborative for Chinatown’s Hot & Noisy Mahjong Socials, Chinatown Today’s Spirit of the Square, the Fire Dragon Festival, and more, the square is unique in a neighbourhood lacking similar public gathering spaces. The square, located next to the controversial 105 Keefer development (which is likely going to be renamed and renumbered as a Columbia Street address, perhaps to shake the baggage of community opposition), has served as the site of protests, where community organizers, youth and seniors alike, helped to stave off gentrification in the initial fight against the adjacent 105 Keefer.
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