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Set in the Chinatown section of downtown Calgary, the 70,000-square foot site is the largest stand-alone cultural center in Canada, attracting nearly a quarter of a million visitors each year.
The Centre’s traditional Chinese architecture is adorned with a stately dome atop 70-foot-high painted columns, the result of 100,000 man-hours of work performed by hundreds of volunteers.
The Chinese Centre celebrates a Chinese culture that has endured for nearly 6000 years by appreciating the values of other philosophies and assimilating them into its own.
As a physical expression of this spirit, the building’s completion in 1992 symbolized the culmination of a cultural collaboration among Chinese expatriates in Calgary, Chinese people of the homeland, and Canadians.
Since then, the non-profit Chinese Centre has given guests a chance to explore different aspects of the Chinese culture on four different floors of the building.
On the lower level, a cultural museum displays Chinese sculptures, ceramics, porcelain, costumes, robes, inventions, and artifacts dating back thousands of years.
Among the treasures in the Chinese Centre are life-size replicas of the terra cotta soldiers and chariot from the Qin dynasty in the third century B.C.
This floor also features a large Chinese seafood restaurant where patrons can sample an array of delicacies.
The main floor of the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre houses the Centre’s pride and joy, the Dr. Henry Fok Cultural Hall.
This hall is a scaled-down version of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing that was built in 1420.
Its crowning glory is the magnificent dome, hand-decorated with 561 dragons and 40 phoenixes, and the columns supporting it are overlaid with real gold.
To perform the meticulous handiwork involved in laying down ceramic tiles and painting intricate designs, twenty-two artisans from Beijing labored for four months.
The result of their efforts is visible from the ground floor up, as an atrium extends upward to the third floor and offers an unobstructed view of the dome.
The Henry G.D. Chow Auditorium shares the main floor with the hall, and this multiple-use space is a venue for cultural, athletic, and social events.
The room converts to a banquet hall and can be rented for a small fee.
Other attractions on this level include a Chinese arts and craft store, a Chinese holistic medicine and acupuncturist office, and a confectionery store that offers Chinese sweets.
The second floor is home to the Orrin and Clara Christie Might library, which holds an impressive collection of books, reference materials, videos, audiotapes, and posters relating to Chinese art, culture, and history.
Chinese proficiency is not necessary to enjoy the library, as there are books written in English and bilingual texts for children, all searchable online via the Centre’s web-based library reference system.
The corridors outside the library serve as an art gallery, showcasing calligraphy scrolls created two centuries ago, large murals based on Chinese culture, and other artwork.
On the third floor, more space is devoted to various exhibitions and art pieces, but the focal point is the domed ceiling stretching overhead.
Its beauty is most easily seen and appreciated from this vantage point, providing a nice finishing touch to an ascending tour of the Centre’s levels.
For visitors who are interested in learning more about Chinese culture, the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre hosts frequent special events and offers classes in Chinese languages, martial arts, sports, dance techniques, and cooling arts.
The Centre’s museum charges a nominal entrance fee, but admission to the rest of the site is free, so spend an hour enjoying authentic Chinese culture, without the annoying jet lag. For more information, visit
The Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre or call 403-262-5071.
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