The Gastown Steam Clock is a cast-iron tower with four glass-enclosed clock faces that releases white vapor from its top on the hour. Built in nineteen seventy-seven by horologist Raymond Saunders and metalworker Doug Smith, the clock…
Gastown and Chinatown History
This walking tour takes you through Vancouver’s oldest historic streets, bridging the Victorian-era brick storefronts of Gastown with the deeply rooted heritage of Chinatown.
Listen to this tour in the Mira app →Walk it in street view
1. Gastown Steam Clock
2. Gaoler's Mews
Gaoler's Mews is a narrow, cobblestoned courtyard tucked away in the Gastown district. Its history begins in the mid-nineteenth century, when the site served as the location for Vancouver’s first jail. Following the great fire of eighteen…
3. Maple Tree Squares
Maple Tree Square is the intersection where Water, Powell, Alexander, and Carrall streets meet. It is recognized as the birthplace of Vancouver, serving as the spot where John Deighton, famously nicknamed Gassy Jack, opened the Globe…
4. Historic Shanghai Alley - Vancouver
Shanghai Alley is an L-shaped corridor tucked away on the western edge of Vancouver’s Chinatown. You can identify it by the replica Western Han Dynasty bell that sits in its center, surrounded by a circular display of historical panels.…
5. Vancouver Chinatown Millennium Gate
The Millennium Gate is defined by three ornamental arches topped with sweeping, orange-tiled roofs that span West Pender Street at the intersection with Taylor Street. Completed in two thousand two, this structure serves as the ceremonial…
6. Jack Chow Building
The Jack Chow Building is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the narrowest commercial building in the world. It is a steel-framed structure that measures only six feet deep, a shape that stands out sharply against the…
7. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is enclosed by tall, plain white walls that contrast sharply with the surrounding bustle of Vancouver's Chinatown. Completed in nineteen eighty-six, it holds the distinction of being the first…
8. Chinese Canadian Museum
The Chinese Canadian Museum occupies the Wing Sang Building, the oldest brick structure in Vancouver's Chinatown. You can identify it by its historic red-brick facade and its position at fifty-one East Pender Street, where it serves as a…