After all your voting and feedback, we finally decided on a new brand for the Chinatown event series â Chinatown Together èŻć ćç”!
Through Chinatown Together, our aim is to bring Chinatown's community and allying communities together in the form of ethical, accessible, and intergenerational events to revitalize Chinatown. We believe in and have continuously sourced our event food, refreshments, and supplies from Chinatown businesses as much as possible. We believe in directly giving back to the community.
When creating our logo, we worked closely together with local artist @Lucky.Munyi on our core values, the name of our group, and how that would translate into our choice of knot.
The Chinese translation of âChinatown Togetherâ is èŻć ćç” (Cantonese: waa4 fau6 tyun4 git3, Mandarin: huĂĄ bĂč tuĂĄn jiĂ©) inspired by the first two characters in the rallying phrase used in fight against 105 Keefer: ćç”ïŒćé性ïŒ(Translation: âTogether, we are powerful!â, Cantonese: tyun4 git3 ïŒlik6 loeng6 daai6!, Mandarin: tuĂĄn jiĂ© ïŒ lĂŹ liĂĄng dĂ !).
ćç” means âtogetherâ, âunitedâ and âto rally togetherâ.
ç” also means âknotâ in Chinese, which is why we also chose the logo of a traditional Chinese round brocade knot symbolizing âcompletenessâ, âunityâ, and âgood fortuneâ.
In one symbol we represent our beliefs: that community is through unity, that we are complete when we are together, and our goal and wishes for Chinatown's good fortune.
Together-ness is a value we do not take for granted and we believe in using our events to platform the community's heart and culture and its long battle against gentrification. There is no status, no rank. If you would like to work with us on an event in any capacity, we'd be happy to work with you and support you.
In today's highly commercialized world, culture often gets reduced to a mere commodity for consumption. People purchase tickets to go to events with the expectation of being entertained by individuals in circus costumes or attend street festivals to buy food from food trucks. But culture isnât merely a consumable object, it is fundamentally is an expression of humanity, history, and identity. Culture is a living practice, co-created by people and communities.
At Chinatown Together's gatherings, we always aim to emphasize cultural co-creation instead of just consumption. Whether it involves learning to paint together, practicing kung fu as a community, singing karaoke together, or providing an open mic for anyone to participate, we firmly believe in the strength of collective cultural expression. To resist gentrification is to practice and live our culture in place in Chinatown.
Give us a follow on Chinatown Togetherâs Instagram to get the latest event information:
Also, Save Chinatown YVR will still stick around! Weâll continue to run the mailing list to keep you informed about whatâs happening in the neighbourhood, including the Chinatown Together events.
Tea & Pain Koi in Chinatown on Oct 7 1-3pm
Come sip some hot tea and paint koi with us on Oct 7th at the Sun Yat-Sen Public Park from 1PM-3PM to free the public park.
Everyone is welcome and painting instructions will be provided by @lucky.munyi! In theme with the location, the guided watercolour class will be painting koi fish - with time for free-style painting after. The event is for all ages and interpretation will be provided in Cantonese and Mandarin.
Join us in reclaiming the SYS park to protest the Park Boardâs permanent closure of the eastern park gate, reduction of hours, and increased privatization!
Donate to our new Fall to Spring Community Events Fund!
The summer event series has proven that regular cultural events in Chinatown helps bring people to the neighbourhood while enhancing our connection to Chinatownâs living culture, so weâre planning to keep them going from Fall to Spring! To help us with the costs of expanding the event series, consider making a donation to the new community events fund to make the events free and accessible to as many people as possible.
Last chance to fill out feedback survey to win a Chinatown tote bundle
Attended a Chinatown event this summer to occupy 105 Keefer? Help us understand what you loved, what could be improved, and how youâd like to see the events happen going forward by answering this 7 minute survey.
If you answer the survey by Saturday, Oct 7th, youâll be entered in a draw for a chance to win a Chinatown tote bundle #2 from @lucky.munyi. The bundle includes a beautiful "Protect Chinatown" tote bag, and a preselected set of a print, postcard, and sticker!