Victoria's Chinatown: A Gateway to the Past and Present
of Chinese Canadians

The Chinatown of Victoria, British Columbia, is a
major historical gateway to the Chinese in Canada. It
was once the major entry port for Asian immigration
to British North America, and later to Canada. From
the late 1850s to the 1860s, it was the primary
springboard for several thousand Chinese gold miners
heading to the Fraser River valley and the Cariboo;
and, in the 1880s it was the main entry point for the
estimated 15,000 Chinese builders of the Canadian
Pacific Railway. It is the oldest Chinatown in
Canadian history, and the earliest settlement of
Chinese people in the Canadian “land of promises.”

The website is created and maintained by the
University of Victor as a major gateway to the past
and present of Chinese Canadians. It features
selected photos, maps, archives, family documents,
oral histories and other data for researchers and
interested members of the public alike.