Inside Chinatown

Inside Chinatown: Ancient Culture in a New World is a history/photography book by Robert Amos and Kileasa Wong, set in Victoria, British Columbia.
It is a remarkable look inside the oldest Chinatown in Canada. With spectacular colour photographs and photo-collages, Robert Amos and Kileasa Wong chronicle the history of the private clubs that make up Victoria's Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. The gilded altars, antique art and ornate furniture that grace their meeting halls are important elements in the culture of this complex community, which has a lineage unbroken since the gold rush of 1858. The stunning images, and text in both English and Chinese, make it a landmark picture book showcasing the vibrant Chinese-Canadian heritage.
A designated National Historic Site, Victoria's Chinatown is known for its elaborate Gate of Harmonious Interest and its narrow passageways, such as the famous Fan Tan Alley. Until now, the public has been restricted to these outdoor sights. For more than a decade, Robert Amos used his privileged access to photograph the private rooms of Victoria's Chinese societies. Co-author Kileasa Wong is the editor of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association's Victoria Chinatown Newsletter, and a principle of the Chinese school. In 2008, the Victoria Times Colonist featured the work of Amos and Wong in a 12-part series. Amos' collection of photographs and large scale photo-collages creates a unique, never-before-seen portrait of Victoria's Chinatown. This book is a fascinating introduction to an ancient culture in a new world.
The history of is extensive. More information can be found on its own page.
About the Authors
Robert Amos graduated from York University in Toronto before pursuing a full-time career in the arts. He lived in Brampton, Manitoba where he was part of a three-person team making a large relief mural for Brampton City Hall. Amos arrived in Victoria, British Columbia in 1975 where he was Assistant to the Director of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Since 1979 he has held numerous art shows and exhibitions in Victoria and overseas; A five-part panorama of Chinatown’s Fisgard Street was the centerpiece of his first exhibition. He is the author of Artists in Their Studios: Where Art is Born (TouchWood Editions). Since 1986, Robert has been the art writer for the Times-Colonist newspaper and his drawings of Victoria’s Chinatown have appeared on almost every issue of the Victoria Chinatown Newsletter. Robert still resides in Victoria, BC.
Kileasa Wong was born Wu Chewan in Hong Kong, the daughter of a family from Chaozhou in the northeast corner of Guangdong Province. She moved to Canada with her husband in 1974 and is now the secretary of Victoria's Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. She has a Bachelor's of Fine Arts and a Master's degree in education from the University of Victoria, and is the foremost teacher of traditional Chinese painting in Victoria. She is also the principle of the Chinese Public School on Fisgard Street.
Links and References
*Publisher's website
*Amos' website

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