Vancouver Chinatown Night Market

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page Send by Email

Revisiting the market you thought you knew

Photos & words by Yvonne Chew

Walking through the Vancouver Chinatown Night Market one Friday evening, while friends and families enjoyed food and drink on outdoor patios, I noticed a new blend of vendors.

Amongst the traditional Chinese vendors who sell anything from clothing, jewelry, plants, shoes, and sunglasses, to handbags, smart phone cases, music, movies, and toys, the new vendors were selling hand-made arts, crafts, and services.

This means that at the renewed Night Market, not only can visitors sample local Asian cuisine and snacks – whether the popular Potato Tornado, bubble tea, or dim sum – they can also browse through a vastly eclectic variety of local vendors.

At the bottom of Keefer Street, for example, a man was getting his hair done by a hairstylist from Rock Paper Scissors,

and a lady was getting her foot massaged at a massage therapist booth.

Not only has the vendor lineup expanded this year, but the Night Market is also showing outdoor movies such as a recent screening of Kung Fu flick Iron Monkey.

There’s also an outdoor stage where a variety of shows are performed by local community talent, such as little kids dancing classical Chinese dance. This Friday June 28, the Kingsgate Chorus will be lighting up the night with their covers of “songs ranging from Bon Iver, The Pixies and New Order.”