Chinatown

An afternoon's walk around Chinatown with the Helios 58mm lens.

Blue Skies

The sun came out yesterday while I was downtown and it was so nice to see some blue sky I just took a photo of it from where I was - just across the street from the Chinese Public School on Fisgard Street.

Details

I mentioned a few days ago how I appreciated that even the details in Chinatown contribute to the ambiance. Here's two examples, a bike rack and a trash container, both painted the bright red that is an auspicious color in Chinese culture.

Venus Sophia

Yesterday's window seat photos were taken while I was waiting for my lunch to be served in Venus Sophia, a delightfully comfortable restaurant/tea parlor in the heart of Chinatown. It manages to hold its own though surrounded by a dozen Asian restaurants, probably because it is as good as it is different. You can see my lunch below and it was delicious. I eat there fairly often and am never disappointed.

People-Watching

There is a constant flow of pedestrians and other traffic along Fisgard Street in Chinatown and the best way to enjoy it is to find a good window seat.

Dragon Alley

Fan Tan Alley (yesterday's post) is only one of Chinatown's two exceedingly narrow passages. Across the street and down the block is another, Dragon Alley, that passes northward from Fisgard Street to Herald Street. We'll take a walk down Dragon Alley tomorrow.

Fan Tan Alley

Our Chinatown has some interesting architectural features that include some very narrow passages between buildings. Fan Tan Alley runs right through the block from Fisgard Street to Pandora Street and is barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. We'll have a closer look at it tomorrow.

More Chinatown

Here is a close-up of a building you can see in the background of yesterday's post. The tall part of the building is identified as "The Lees Benevolent Association". The shorter part of the building is signposted as "Shon Yee Benevolent Association". These associations occupy the upper floors with the street level devoted to businesses. Like the building housing the Tam Kung Temple, this double building is very narrow and the four doorways visible yield two fractional addresses (614½ and 612½).

Chinatown Phone Booth

One of many things I like about our Chinatown is the attention to details. Bike racks, lamp posts and pedestrian benches are all designed with Chinese motifs and color. This phone booth (almost an historical artifact these days) on Fisgard Street fits in perfectly

Another Maltby in Chinatown

Yesterday's Maltby mural was a group portrait. Today's, barely a hundred meters distant, is a striking trompe l'oeil that invites the passerby into 19th century Victoria.

Lee Mong Kow Family 1905

A half block east of the Gate of Harmonious Interest (yesterday's post) are a group of murals by local artist Jeff Maltby. He's a remarkable artist and if you ever visit Victoria take the time to seek out his many murals in this city. Pictured above is one mounted on the wall of a parking arcade on Fisgard Street, just opposite the Chinese Public School. The inscription (blocked in this photo by the tree) reads, "Lee Mong Kow Family 1905". It's a wonderful group portrait of a Chinese immigrant family. Click HERE to see more detail and enjoy the distinct expression on every face.

Chinese Public School

Here's another favorite heritage building, this one in Chinatown. It's the Chinese Public School on Fisgard Street that opened in 1909. This building always looks good but especially so at this time of year when nearby trees are in bloom. There's an interesting article on this school here.

Victoria in Black and White 4 - Chinese Public School

Here's one of many gems in our small Chinatown, the Chinese Public School, originally erected by Chinese residents because in the early days of Chinatown their children were barred from other schools. Though that need has thankfully passed into history the school is still used by the Chinese community to pass on aspects of their culture to the younger generation.

Everybody Smokes Old Chum

It's always interesting to see these old ghost signs and there are quite a few on the sides of buildings in the oldest parts of Victoria. The one above is on Fisgard and has obviously been painted over a few times. I can also make out the phrase "navy cut" which referred to tobacco cut a little coarser than normal for cigarettes. But the phrase appears to be painted under the words Old Chum. Above it I think I can see a faint "Players", the name of a brand of cigarettes that utilized navy cut tobacco. People still smoke but their numbers are decreasing every day. Today there are half as many smokers as there were 50 years ago, and soon, like this sign, smoking will just be a historical curiosity.

Chinatown Night Market

Victoria's Chinatown is always one of the most busy and colorful parts of the city and this year they have added another feature, the Chinatown Night Market. Fisgard Street is blocked off and booths selling arts and crafts and things Chinese and promoting organizations and activities line the street. There's also food - see the fried dumplings being prepared on the left - and music and free entertainment, as well as the usual rich colors and smells of Chinatown.

The Yates Street Wetlands

On the 700 block of Yates Street, between Blanshard and Douglas, sits a vacant lot. Over the years it has slowly been returning to nature, and personally, I kinda like it. The Times Colonist reported recently however, that condos will be built soon. Here's another example of one of Victoria "wild lots." This one is between Pandora and Fisgard, and it too is slated for, you guessed it, condos. - Fern

Mmmm 2 - The Noodle Box

Yesterday's post was Central American food at Hernandez. Today's delicious item is a recent lunch I had at The Noodle Box on Fisgard Street in Victoria's Chinatown. It seemed a bit pricier than Hernandez but there was a lot of tasty stuff in that bowl, called Cambodian Jungle Curry ($10.75). That fresh lime and those slices of fresh mango garnish were the perfect complements to the creamy, spicy sauce covering the noodles and tofu. There's lots of other good South-East Asian street food on the menu, too.

Gate of Harmonious Interest - Reprise

This e-mail just received:

Benjamin,

Congratulations! Your photo entitled “Gate of Harmonious Interest” is the Grand Prize Winner of the Clipper Vacations photo contest. You’ve won a Clipper Vacation Trip for Two! Prize includes two free round trip tickets on the Victoria Clipper plus two nights’ accommodation, champagne breakfast aboard the Victoria Clipper, luggage handling from the hotel and a Victoria Clipper Goodie Bag.

Streets with Trees II

Victoria's Chinatown streets are graced with a species of pine that lends itself to a kind of topiary akin to bonsai. They also seem designed to provide convenient seats for children during special events such as the recent Chinese New Year's celebration on Fisgard Street when I photographed this tree.

Year of the Tiger

Canada's oldest Chinatown has decked itself out with new red lanterns to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The lanterns in this photo are hung on the Gate of Harmonious Interest on Fisgard Street in Victoria's Chinatown. This is the Year of the Tiger.

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Kung Hei Fat Choi!

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