Community Day at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Join us at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden on July 9th from 10:30 pm – 4:00 pm where we’ll be celebrating Hong Kong’s rich culture and history through music, art, food, games, storytelling and more! Community Days is a quarterly event FREE for BC residents (with ID) aimed at bringing the community together to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of a Ming Dynasty Scholars garden and encourage visitation to the Chinatown neighborhood.

On July 9th, the Garden will transform its space and activate three zones celebrating Hong Kong through food at “Gor May Street”, language at “Happy Valley Activity Zone” and people at “Central Shops District”. To bring the Mong Kok vibe, there will be Guzheng performances and music by songwriter/guitarist Dano Wen in the courtyard.

First stop, visitors will find delicious and iconic Hong Kong tastes specially curated by Melody Yip (@blackholetummy), an ambassador of HK food and culture. Headlining Gor May Street is Dicky’s Dumps serving delicious curry fish balls & handmade small-batch dumplings, and Ember Hong Kong Barbeque offering authentic HK meat skewers. Other HK favorites such as Noodles in a Bag and bottled Vitasoy will surely evoke some feelings of nostalgia. Not to be missed is the HK Milk Tea Gelato, a limited release from Passione Gelato, as well as nourishing Cantonese dessert by Tao Desserts, and baked goodies from Butter x Crumbs.

Cantonese is a distinctive integral part of Hong Kong culture and the garden is excited to welcome back Eveline Yu of Rhythm ‘N’ Rhyme Musical Adventures and Cantonese Parents in BC, who will be curating and activating a wide range of children’s programming in the Happy Valley Activity Zone. Children, parents and those young at heart can look forward to Canto Story Telling with Dr. Zoe Lam and RedEgg Entertainment, a Cantonese/English Magic Show by Sam Liang, and Music Time with Rhythm ‘N’ Rhyme Musical Adventures. There’ll also be boardgames by Hot Banana Games, a pop-up bookstore by Yuto as well as arts and crafts!

Last stop is the Central Shops District market which will offer a diverse range of local makers with Hong Kong roots. You will find HK-inspired artwork, apparel, candles, chili oil, jewelry, tea & more throughout the garden. Participate in a scavenger hunt by answering questions at vendor booths to be entered in a draw for prizes! (See below for full list of vendors)

This will be the garden’s biggest Community Day. While the event is free to BC residents with ID, RSVP on Eventbrite is appreciated and recommended!

Schedule of Events:

• 11:00 AM – Storytime in Cantonese with Dr. Zoey Lam
• 12:00 PM – Roundabout Cantonese Music with Rhythm ‘N’ Rhyme
• 12:45 PM – Guzheng Performances
• 1:00 PM – Magic Show with Sam Liang
• 1:30 PM – Guzheng Performances
• 2:00 PM – Roundabout Cantonese Music with Rhythm ‘N’ Rhyme
• 2:30 PM – Music Performance by Dano Wen
• 3:00 PM – Storytime in Cantonese with Red Egg Entertainment

The Community Days Market will include:

• Yellow Dream Sand – Stunning beaded jewelry
• Mehmehmagic – Tarot, Astrology & Yoga Teaching in Cantonese, Mandarin & English
• The Stranded Ones Collective – Illustrative artworks & goods
• Ollie & Co. – Locally made scented candles
• Little Ocean Art – Artwork, Suncatchers, pins & more
• Simply Homayd – Chili Oil
• Little Candle Matters – Fun Shaped Candles
• The Chinese Tea Shop – Long Standing Chinatown tea shop
• Kaho Chan – Local Illustrator with colorful & vibrant work
• Slothee Coffee – Coffee inspired art prints, cards, magnets and coffee accessories
• Lil Asian Designs – 3D printed goods with Asian inspired themes

About Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is a registered museum and one of Vancouver’s top tourist attractions. Opened in 1986, and considered to be the first full-scale Chinese garden built outside of China, it was constructed using traditional Chinese building techniques and materials that do not require nails or screws.

As a registered not-for-profit, all Garden revenue goes toward fulfilling its mission to bring together cultures and communities through educational, cultural and public programs serving thousands of visitors, students and neighbors each year.