Vancouver is a pleasant city.
Vancouver Aquarium
Spanish Banks Beach
Grouse Mountain
Soon after this first ascent, Grouse Mountain attracted hundreds of intrepid hikers. Among these were Don and Phyllis Munday who built the first log cabin on the mountain. Today, the Munday Alpine Snowshoe Park bears their name in honor of their contributions to mountaineering.
Vancouver Lookout
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is modeled after the famous Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) gardens from the city of Suzhou. When this garden was completed in 1986 in time for Expo 86, it was the first full scale Chinese classical garden constructed outside of Asia.
The Garden is situated on a site where Vancouver’s Chinatown first began. At the time, it was at the edge of False Creek and consisted of Chinese association buildings, sawmills, brothels, theatres, and until 1920 – the Great Northern Railway. In the late 1960s, plans were underway for a freeway to go through Chinatown. These plans were thwarted and part of the reclaimed land was then designated for a Chinese Cultural Centre and an adjoining park and Chinese garden. The planning and fundraising for the park and garden began in 1976 with the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden located just west of the public Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park.
Dr. Sun Yat Sen (1866-1925), known as the “Father of Modern China”, was a Chinese revolutionary. He was educated in the West and became a doctor, but returned to China to unify and modernize his country. He founded the Nationalist Party and formed the first Republic after overturning the last dynasty (the Ch’ing/Qing Dynasty). He visited Vancouver three times in 1897, 1910 and 1911, not only to hide from the Empress, but to also fundraise for his campaigns. There are accounts of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen staying at the Hotel Pennsylvania (412 Carrall St) and also the Chinese Freemasons Building (5 West Pender St.) in Chinatown. In the early 1900s, Chinese people in Vancouver donated more money per capita than any other North American city. The park symbolized the friendship between the Canadians and the Chinese.
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
REFERENCE: Google Earth
