A small, charming school room in Chinatown, more than a century old, welcomed a new generation of students. They were there to learn about the history of Chinese Canadians who migrated to Vancouver back in the late 1800s.  

In the classroom, with a blackboard still intact with the original Chinese writing lessons on it, students from Nightingale Elementary learned about the history of the building they were in - the Wing Sang building, the oldest brick building in Chinatown! It was built by a prominent businessman named Yip Sang in 1889. Today, it is home to the Chinese Canadian museum.

Students toured the space and learned about the businesses the building housed and the people who inhabited it. A permanent display of Yip Sang’s living room and the school room were meant to be experienced. Students played the piano, listened to Chinese music on the phonograph and had their photos taken at an old photobooth.  

The main display of the museum features artifacts owned by early Chinese Canadian migrants and students had the opportunity to interact with the objects recreated in 3D.

At the end of the field trip, students excitedly talked about the highlights of their fieldtrip.

 “Looking for patterns” (scavenger hunt)

“I liked being in the classroom!” -Gabriel

“I liked being the teacher in the classroom!” -Wyatt

 “Going to the classroom” Kiera

“Photobooth” - Leyla

“I really like that I can touch everything and that it was interactive” -student

“I really liked that music player and the piano” - student