[BCMA] Royal BC Museum’s Gold Mountain Dream! opens at Chinese Cultural Centre Museum

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

March 9, 2016



For immediate release



 Royal BC Museum’s Gold Mountain Dream! opens at Chinese Cultural Centre Museum





Vancouver, BC – The British Columbia gold rush of 1858 is a significant event in the creation of a province and the unification of a country, but its repercussions stretched far beyond the borders of what was to become Canada. 



With its new Gold Mountain Dream! exhibition, on display at Chinese Cultural Centre Museum from March 12th to April 10, 2016 the Royal BC Museum explores how the gold rush not only changed the landscapes and lives in BC, but how this monumental event changed China, as people flocked to a rugged land in search of fortune.



Gold Mountain Dream! – created by the Royal BC Museum in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of History – tells the personal stories and sacrifices of Chinese migrants in the 1850s as they landed on British Columbia shores in search of gold. It is a fascinating account of adventure, heartbreak and social upheaval.



“This is an extremely significant chapter in both the history of BC and the history of Guangdong Province,” said Royal BC Museum CEO Jack Lohman. “This exhibition brings to life this shared history for a new generation, and is a fitting tribute to the courage and tenacity of our ancestors.”



Through archival photographs and detailed storytelling, Gold Mountain Dream! tells the story of how everything changed during this fevered era, as class and racial barriers were broken down and people seized the extraordinary opportunities that glittered before them.



Previously, Gold Mountain Dream! was displayed at the Guangdong Museum of Chinese Nationals Residing Abroad in Guangzhou, China, as part of a series of cultural exchange activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the twinning relationship between BC and Guangdong Province. Royal BC Museum CEO Jack Lohman and BC Premier Christy Clark attended the opening in Guangzhou in November 2015.



Now, this internationally acclaimed exhibition will be on display from March 12th, until April 10th, 2016 at the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum, 555 Columbia Street, Vancouver, B.C. The Centre is open Tuesday – Sunday 11am - 5pm. Admission by donation.



Gold Mountain Dream! is made possible through the generous support of the Government of British Columbia, the Francis Kermode Group, Tourism Victoria and the Royal BC Museum Foundation. The BC government contributed $200,000 to this exhibition and to other exciting projects related to the Chinese Historical Wrongs Legacy Initiative. This exhibition was proudly supported by Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver.



During the exhibition, activities such as panning for gold are available for audiences. On Saturday April 2nd, 2016 2:00PM, Dr. Henry Yu and Ms. Sarah Ling will give a lecture Gold Mountain Dreaming and the History of the Cantonese Pacific at the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum. The lecture is co-organized by Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia and the Royal BC Museum. 



About the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver

The Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver was founded in 1973 to promote the understanding and friendship between the Chinese community and other cultural groups in Canada; to interpret and communicate Chinese culture and to facilitate exchange with other cultural groups and with the community at large. The Centre runs the S. K. Lee Academy – Chinese Language School and a community museum that educate people about Chinese culture and Chinese Canadian heritage.


About the Royal BC Museum

The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Looking to the future, the Royal BC Museum will be a refreshed, modern museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures. 





Royal BC Museum Media contact:

Royal BC Museum Media Inquiries 

250-387-3207

news at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 

@RoyalBCMuseum 





Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver Media contact:

604-658-8883

museum at cccvan.com

@CCCVAN

 /cccvan





Toni Zhang McAfee
Museum Manager
Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver
555 Columbia Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6A 4H5, Canada
604-658-8883, museum at cccvan.com
Office hours: Tue - Sat 9am-6pm
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