Calgary's
Chinese Cultural Center
By Lindsey and Amber
| History | Present | Inside the Center |
The Calgary Chinese Cultural Center is a "one of a kind" building with an imitation Hall of Prayers in the Temple of Heaven. The roof in the Center includes 561 dragons and 16 phoenixes. The Calgary Chinese Cultural Center was crafted by a expert artisans renowned for classical Chinese architectural workmanship.
The Roof Tiles: These blue tiles were crafted in China and installed in the traditional layer technique with full mortar.
The Woodwork: The wooden corbel brackets and rafters were designed and constructed following the authentic specifications in the renowned Treatise of Architectural Methods of the Qing Dynasty, complete with the traditional 3-cantilever/7-tier composition for interior brackets, and 4-cantilever/9-tier for the exterior brackets.
The Decorative Painting:
Traditional patterns and motifs included the following: golden-edged
decoration for the corbel brackets and gold-leaf painting with grand
spiral-dragon patterns for the beams and purlins. Lotus patterns in
gold-leaf are painted on the four large columns with the apex of the
interior ceiling graced by a grand spiral dragon.
Information on the Center ,the autumn of 1982 it was a critical time for Calgary's Chinatown. People belonging to the city proposed land redesignation for Calgary's Chinatown. Chinatown was going to have tall sky scrapers just as the downtown core. It was said that Chinatown would disintegrate and disappear in the process. The People of china who immigrated to china and the city council saw Chinatown as a distinct and unique community worthy of preservation. However without a revitalization plan Chinatown would have deteriorated along with many other of the Chinatowns across North America. Through weekly meetings and a nearly a year and a half of hard work China town was unanimously accepted, approved and adopted by all members involved in the process. Landowners responded very positively and started building new premises to meet the needs of the new revitalized Chinatown. A critical event occurred near the end of the ARP ( Area Redevelopment Plan ). A proposal was put forward to reduce Chinatowns boundary by 40% of the land, Chinatown was already small and didn't need further tinkering.
Removing
such a big part of the Chinatown would to irreparable damage and may
threaten its outright survival. Counter proposals were made, adverse effects
of the proposals. Again a new plan unanimously agreed and accepted by all
parties involved.
Especially praiseworthy was the Calgary planning department, which had the
interest and welfare of the Chinese community at heart the whole time. 
It
was their dedication and professionalism that enabled them to find a set of
solutions so that everybody was happy. When a group of community minded
individuals committed themselves to the project eight years ago all with the
same vision for the Cultural Center, helping fulfill the aspirations of
their community. Given the opportunity and good leadership a community could
channel it's energy and resources to accomplish many useful and meaningful
things. The completion of the Chinese cultural center was not the end of our
work, but the beginning of a continuing journey.
A number of businesses and special rooms are found within the Chinese Cultural Center's walls:
Calgary Chinese Cultural Center Chinese Public School
Henry G.D. Chow Auditorium
Calgary Chinese Cultural Center Chinese Public School this is a school that gives children a chance to learn the Chinese langue.
The Museum is located in the basement of the Cultural Center ,the museum provides a source of learning and information on China and the China town in Calgary Alberta. A highlight of the museum ,the terracotta soldiers, this is a display in the museum it shows what happened with China during the time of the first emperor.
Emperor Seafood Restaurant: This is a restaurant that gives employees and visitors a chance to have traditional Chinese food without going far form the Center.
Chinese Arts and Crafts Store: This store gives visitors a chance to purchase Chinese arts and crafts.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Center: This also gives visitors a chance to buy great Chinese traditional products but here you can purchase traditional Chinese medicine.
HiHo Travel provides visitors a chance to also get close and great travel opportunities.
The Convenient Store obviously this is a convenient store to all, it sales most normal convenient store items but it also sales normal Chinese convenient store items.
Bibliography:
Editorial Committee Calgary Chinese Cultural Center. Calgary: The Chinese Cultural Center Special Inauguration Publication, 1992.
Weston, P. Calgary's Chinese Cultural Center, http://www.21stcenturyadventures.com/articles/chinese.html (retrieved March 26, 2004)
HISTORY WHY THEY CAME CULTURE ARTS CULTURAL CENTER RACISM BUSINESS CIVIC CONTRIBUTIONS FOOD