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Chinese Cultural Museum Visit
Lee Gardner
Student number: 201729580
Chinese Religions
RELS 2212-001
March 17, 2025
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The Chinese Cultural Centre is located in downtown Calgary at 197 First Street SW. It is
dedicated to preserving and showcasing Chinese heritage. The centre serves as a community hub,
cultural museum, and historical line to the past. Walking through the museum there were many
interesting themes, from their ancient collections of intricate figurines, vessels, black pottery, and
more to furniture, architecture and traditional regalia, it was a lot to take in especially since a lot
of these collections were from thousands of years ago. For example, the Bronze Four-Legged
Ting of the Shang Dynasty that dates back to 1500 B.C, from my understanding it was used for
more than just cooking, it had spiritual meaning. It would bring good luck to families and keep
ancestors happy in the afterlife. Viewing something that old up close and knowing it was part of
everyday life thousands of years ago, made it less than just a museum piece and more like a
direct line to the past and what mattered to them. In awe as I was, what really affected me during
my tour, was the exhibition, “Our Chosen Land—100 Years of Development of the Chinese
Community in Calgary”.
This exhibition really captured the struggles and triumphs of Chinese Canadians and also
focused on how they built a community in Calgary despite harsh discrimination and I’m sure a
lot of other worse acts that have been meticulously forgotten. From what I was told, the
exhibition outlines five periods of Chinese immigration, each with its own major challenges and
government policies. The periods were from 1858 to 1994 and covered Chinese initial arrival,
the Chinese Immigration Act and the Head Tax, The Era of Exclusion- The Dark Age in the
History of Chinese Immigration to Canada, Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act and Family
Unification, and Prosperity Under a New Environment. The exhibition was filled with
photographs and historical records that kept the Chinese who lived back then alive. One of the
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most interesting images was the photo of Chinese workers at the hydraulic mines in BC. It
showed the unsafe and quite scary working conditions they had to face. Another image that stood
out was the Chinese railway workers on hand cars. It was a reminder on how the Chinese really
were the backbone to Canada’s railway system even though they were being overworked and
most likely underpaid. They were a critical part in physically shaping Canada’s infrastructure,
economy and trade routes.
One of the most emotional artifacts was the Head Tax Certificate that belonged to a
young boy. I’m assuming that this Head Tax document was proof that his family had paid the
government an unfair entry fee into Canada. This document was also a way to deter Chinese
from Immigrating. The fact that Chinese families had to spend a lot of money just to stay
together in Canada made it quite clear just how deep discrimination was for them and for a lot of
cultures at that time.
The exhibition also highlighted a major even that was catastrophic to their community. A
few photos depicted a fire that nearly destroyed the entire community. Even though it was
devastating, the Chinese rebuilt and continued to thrive despite what happened. The display of
the grand opening of the Wah Ying Society and later the grand opening of the Cultural Centre in
1992, portrayed just how resilient the Chinese community in Calgary was and still is.
Additionally, seeing images of Chinese gardeners and bellboys working at Lake Louise made me
think about whether or not the Chinese having to take on labor-intensive positions and jobs was
forced because other less dangerous or less physical intensive opportunities were denied to them.
This exhibition is important because it shares the history of the Chinese that is overlooked.
Chinese immigrants played a huge role in shaping Canada while facing discrimination, racism,
segregation and exclusion. The head tax were not just old laws, they had real consequences that
separated families and also made them live under unfair conditions. These effects perhaps have
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even affected families today from the reverb. These photos are a reminder of the struggles the
Chinese faced and are acknowledged.
What I learned from this exhibition was I realized the Chinese immigration history isn’t
just about hard work, labor, discrimination and policy changes, it’s also about how the Chinese
persevered and found ways to hold onto their identity. To tie in the course, it is no doubt that
Chinese religion, whether it be Buddhism, Daoism or Confusicnasm, most likely became a tool
or aid in their survival. With many Chinese Canadians still celebrating Chinese traditional
festivals, maintain alters, and still practice Chinese religions, it shows their will for cultural
survival.
Calgaries Chinese Cultural Museum, has shown me how faith and determination while
staying connected to religious and cultural roots is key to building life fulfillment and meaning. I
have gained a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture and what it means to hold onto
something familiar when everything is uncertain.
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