East Pender Street, Vancouver

Vancouver’s Chinatown is best explored on foot, with East Pender Street as your main spine. Stand near the junction of Pender and Main, then look along the block: old brick façades, bilingual signs, narrow shopfronts, and upper-floor association halls reveal the neighborhood’s historic character, while newer cafés and boutiques show how it continues to evolve.

Begin by walking along East Pender Street. On both sides, look for traditional grocery stores, herbal pharmacies, and specialty shops selling ginseng, green tea, dried goods, tableware, cooking utensils, embroidered fabrics, silk robes, and seasonal produce. These are working neighborhood businesses, so the pleasure is in the details: jars of preserved ingredients, hanging lanterns, stacked bamboo steamers, and displays that mix everyday household goods with ceremonial items.

For a classic food stop, look for New Town Bakery & Restaurant at Number 148. It is easy to identify by its busy bakery counter and trays of Chinese and Filipino pastries. Tourists usually come here for steamed buns, especially the barbecue pork and chicken varieties, but it is also a good place to pause and watch the rhythm of Chinatown’s food culture.

Continue west of Main Street along East Pender, where the mood becomes more contemporary. Here, traditional storefronts sit beside independent shops selling skateboards, vintage clothing, design objects, coffee, and fashion. At 135 East Pender Street, look for Bamboo Village, housed in a three-storey brick heritage building. Inside, the shop feels like a compact cultural cabinet, with bamboo goods, paper lanterns, folk art, worship supplies, home décor, and nostalgic Chinese memorabilia.

Continue west along East Pender Street until you reach Carrall Street. At this intersection, you will notice the transition from the traditional heart of Chinatown into one of its most revitalized areas. Turn left onto Carrall Street, or turn right onto Keefer Street, which runs one block south of Pender and can be reached by following Carrall or Main Street.

Between Main Street and Carrall Street, especially along Keefer Street, you'll find many of the neighborhood's contemporary cafés, restaurants, and independent businesses. This is where establishments, such as Kissa Tanto, Bao Bei, Propaganda Coffee, Aubade Coffee, and Umaluma, occupy restored heritage buildings. The contrast between century-old brick architecture and modern interiors gives this part of Chinatown its distinctive character, making it one of Vancouver's most vibrant and fast-evolving neighborhoods.