A car drove by just as I was snapping a photo of the Gastown steam clock. It added some nice streaks to the photo.

Credit James Wheeler and link to www.souvenirpixels.com

Gastown & Chinatown

The spot where pioneer-era Vancouver began, Gastown is the city's cobbled old-town district. Rapidly transforming in recent years, its heritage buildings are now home to some of the city's best independent boutiques, bars and restaurants. Almost as old, historic Chinatown is one of Canada's largest and most vibrant and has recently begun gentrifying at an even faster rate – hence the new condo blocks and hipster coffee shops that are making the original grocery stores look shabbier than ever. These fascinating adjoining areas invite plenty of on-foot exploration.

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Attractions

Must-see attractions

Vancouver Police Museum & Archives
Gastown & Chinatown
Illuminating Vancouver's crime-and-vice-addled history, this quirky museum has had a recent makeover, uncovering the former coroner's courtroom (spot the…
Steam Clock
Gastown & Chinatown
Halfway along Water St, this oddly popular tourist magnet lures the cameras with its tooting steam whistle. Built in 1977, the clock's mechanism is…
Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden & Park
Gastown & Chinatown
A tranquil break from bustling Chinatown, this intimate 'garden of ease' reflects Taoist principles of balance and harmony. Entry includes an optional 45…
Maple Tree Square
Gastown & Chinatown
The intersection where Vancouver began was the site of John 'Gassy Jack' Deighton's first pub, and the spot where the inaugural city-council meeting was…
Chinatown Millennium Gate
Gastown & Chinatown
Inaugurated in 2002, Chinatown's towering entrance is the landmark most visitors look for. Stand well back, since the decoration is mostly on its lofty…
Dominion Building
Gastown & Chinatown
A handsome architectural vestige of yesteryear Vancouver, this copper-hued, French-style vintage skyscraper across from Victory Square is well worth a…
Woodward's
Gastown & Chinatown
The project that catalyzed latter-day Downtown Eastside redevelopment, this former iconic department store was a derelict shell after closing in the early…
Jack Chow Building
Gastown & Chinatown
This unusual spot was known for decades as the Sam Kee Building until Jack Chow Insurance changed the name and spruced it up. Listed in the Guinness Book…