Hope at the heart of Chinatown
September 25th, 2025
Vitality: Iconic Images and Hidden Stories (Chinatown Storytelling Centre, $39.95) is a captivating book that showcases the vibrant Chinatown of Vancouver in the 1950s, 60s and 70s through the lens of photographers of the era, including Fred Herzog. It complements the current exhibition at Chinatown Storytelling Centre.
With deep family roots in Vancouver’s Chinatown, Carol Lee is co-founder and chair of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, a registered charity dedicated to affordable housing, seniors housing and cultural and economic revitalization. She serves on several boards including the BC Achievement Foundation, National Coalition Against Anti-Asian Racism and Harvard Business School Canadian Advisory Board.
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BC BookLook: What was the first Fred Herzog photo that stopped you in your tracks, and what story did it tell you?
Carol Lee: I was travelling through YVR and came across the image of Bogner’s Grocery Store. I wasn’t expecting to see Vancouver’s corner stores captured with such care in a book; the scene felt familiar yet newly seen. Herzog’s images of our streets felt alive. Through his lens, Chinatown, Strathcona and Historic Hastings in their heyday came forward with energy and dignity and to me they carried real hope for a bright future.
Fred Herzog, Bogners Grocery 2, 1960
BCBL: Many people know you as a business leader and community builder. How did it feel to step into the role of storyteller and co-author?
CL: There was an unexpected give-and-take between the roles. My ultimate driving force is to preserve the heritage of Chinatown, support its small businesses and strengthen a vibrant, sustainable Vancouver for future generations.I hadn’t realized how closely the images and stories we uncovered aligned with that mission. Throughout all these stories and archival images, you see a community determined to celebrate their heritage, to be resilient and support their community members. The more we dug into these untold histories, the more I felt connected to my work with the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation.
BCBL: You’ve often said revitalization is “people-centric.” How does Vitality help remind Vancouver of the people who made Chinatown what it was—and what it still can be?
CL: Our mission has always been rooted in a community-first approach, one driven by hope. Every project we take on—whether it’s social housing, cultural preservation or economic revitalization—is about bringing energy back to Chinatown and Historic Hastings, one person at a time. Vitality is another step in this journey: it helps build momentum and movement by reconnecting people with the neighbourhood’s stories and supporting local businesses. Vitality invites residents and visitors back into Chinatown and helps restore the vibrant street life that gives the community its character.
Hastings Street, 1914.
BCBL: When future generations pick up this book, what do you hope they’ll feel about Chinatown and its resilience?
CL: I want them to recognize that hope is at the core of this community. And in turn, they can sense that hope is still here and see themselves as torch bearers for the future of Chinatown. The history of Chinatown is still being written and shaped by the residents and businesses and I hope they can feel this continued lineage.
BCBL: On a personal level, what has Vitality taught you about your own relationship with Chinatown — not as chair of the foundation, but as Carol Lee, daughter, neighbour and storyteller?
CL: My earliest childhood memories revolved around Chinatown and Hastings Street. It was a happy time—Chinatown felt like one big community in which everyone knew each other and the streets were alive. In today’s world, sometimes that nostalgia feels very distant. Working through this exhibit has made me realize that this sense of community and everybody knowing each other has not been lost. In fact, the more people share their stories that spiral out from this exhibit, the more I feel a deeper sense of belonging and connection to not only the past, but to today.
Fred Herzog, Man with Cane, 1961
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