Vancouver information: Chinatown pageant celebrates communtiy, tradition

The Hearth Dragon Pageant returned to Vancouver’s Chinatown neighbourhood on Saturday, drawing in a whole lot of holiday makers all through the day.

“It is wonderful to see all these individuals down right here whether or not they’re from Vancouver or not,” mentioned Stephanie Leo, the co-chair of Chinatown Legacy Stewardship Group and one of many occasion’s organizers.

“As a neighborhood, we’re so nice at coming collectively, whether or not it’s to face crises, or to come back collectively and have a good time,” she continued.

The occasion has been cancelled for the final two years attributable to pandemic-related restrictions. Its return comes on the heels of a variety of current violent assaults within the space, together with this previous week the place a young delivery worker was stabbed unprovoked.

Final month, a well-known safety guard was attacked whereas on the job. A province-wide arrest warrant has since been issued for his attacker. Vandalism of landmarks and companies have additionally been reported to have elevated within the space because the onet of the pandemic. 

Leo hopes Saturday’s occasion will assist individuals look previous the violent crime that has taken place within the neighbourhood.

“It’s actually vital that folks see how welcoming Chinatown might be as an area and we actually wish to shield it for future generations,” she mentioned.

Along with bringing in additional guests to the neighbourhood, she mentioned the pageant goals to honour the neighborhood’s ancestors and elders in addition to educate the neighborhood about Chinese language tradition and traditions.

The pageant had a packed schedule which included calligraphy, a moon cake workshop and a night parade.

“It’s occasions like this that present simply how sturdy the neighbourhood is,” mentioned Michael Tan, an occasion volunteer.

“It’s a part of having extra eyes on the road. I feel there’s security in numbers and if we will carry extra individuals into Chinatown, that’ll hopefully preserve a number of the dangerous components away from the neighbourhood,” added Jordan Eng of the Vancouver Chinatown Enterprise Enchancment Affiliation.

The neighborhood hopes extra celebratory occasions might be deliberate for the longer term and that quickly the neighbourhood might be within the highlight once more for its tradition and resilience.