The Victoria’s Chinatown Gate.

One of the stoned lions that guards the Chinatown Gate.

This week I am walking through The Gates of Harmonious Interest also known as Victoria’s Chinatown Gate. Chinatown is a very popular tourist attraction in Victoria, British Columbia and it is home to hundreds of Chinese-Canadians. It is also one of the oldest places in the city of Victoria and it is apart of the National Historic Site of Canada.

As I entered into Chinatown, there is a change of scenery and the artistic decor of the gate let me to know that I have officially arrived to a very distinguished attraction. It is comprised of authentic Chinese architecture. The Gates of Harmonious Interest has a slanted yet curved golden roof with red trimmings, there are uniformed blue and gold artwork that is displayed across it and there are stone lions that guards the entrance/exit of Chinatown.

This artistic community is one of the main attractions for Downtown Victoria. It is filled with culture, beauty and historic buildings that were carefully preserved to keep its original look. I walked down the famous Fan Tan Alley! It is a slim dark alley way that is located in between two buildings. There isn’t much to see there but I walked through it just for fun. Around Fan Tan Alley there are offices and retail stores. It used to be a private walkway but it is now open to the public.

One of the key components of Chinatown is the 500-600 block of Fisgard Street. It is home to Chinese Businesses and an Old Chinese School. Additionally, there are theaters, places to go shopping, bars, and hotels. If you are interested in visiting the Tam Kung Buddhist Temple you may have to get directions because it is not located in the populated areas. It almost seems to be hidden from public view.

What I loved the most about Chinatown was that it is in close proximity to other attractions. For example, The Empress Hotel, Market Square, Save on Foods Memorial Centre and the Bay Centre are all nearby.

Overall, Chinatown was filled with culture, authentic Chinese food and awesome entertainment venues. After a day of exploring, it was time to leave this gem behind. I walked back through the Victoria’s Chinatown Gate and into the horse-drawn carriage that awaited me.

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