Getting Ready for Customers (03:07)

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It is dark as the merchants of Vancouver, British Columbia’s Chinatown prepare for the start of business. A 90-year-old woman unpacks newspapers; her father immigrated to the area a century ago.

Signs of Gentrification (02:31)

A security guard chases away vagrants. The owner of Chinese Herbs prepares to open. A woman grinds herbs in a crucible, decrying her neighborhood’s changing demographics. A bank advertises home ownership.

Family Tradition (01:55)

Angelo Tosi reveals cheese that has been aged for five years. Customers come from far away to buy gourmet cheeses. The shop has remained the same for generations.

Chinatown Business (03:05)

"Fat Dragon" stops for a cup of coffee at New Town Bakery & Restaurant. He recalls a time when the area was rowdy, but business has slowed. The owner of Treasure Green Tea Company opens her shop and remembers her father.

Sales Tactics (04:02)

An elderly woman knits on the street, displaying wares on a baby stroller. Some merchants use Feng Shui to improve slumping sales. "Fat Dragon" meets the owners of a new business and discusses the neighborhood’s character.

Changing Neighborhood (02:08)

An elderly barber cuts a client’s hair and smokes from a bong during a break. An entrepreneur discusses the interplay of old and new forces; she runs an apothecary-themed craft cocktail bar in a historic building.

Chinese Herbs (04:04)

The store owner prepares a traditional cure and gives his customer dietary advice; the customer does not have enough money and is allowed to pay later. The owner has been in this business since he was little.

Newsstand and Cheese Shop (03:58)

The newspaper saleswoman is well-known; has operated her stand for 20 years. "Fat Dragon" stops to visit. Tosi pitches the health benefits of Limburger before taking a lunch break.

ChinatownYVR Instagallery (04:44)

The tea merchant meets the owners of a new gallery. Their digital display showcases images from around the neighborhood. Ms. Lo, the singing teacher, plays mahjong with her friends; they recall better times in Chinatown.

Chinatown Security (04:00)

The knitting woman packs up her cart and goes home. "Fat Dragon" trains a younger security guard. A hole in the wall is evidence of a recent burglary at Chinese Herbs. Burlesque dancers dance at a craft cocktail bar.

Routine Business (02:53)

Chinatown’s shops open for the day. Fresh fish goes on display at a market. Ken Lum, the owner of Artist 4 Hire, bikes to his studio. He explains his family’s roots in the neighborhood.

Rennie & Associates (02:48)

An inspirational message adorns Bob Rennie’s building. Rennie explains that he is not a developer, but advises the development community. He discusses his art collection and the reason he bought the Wing Sang building.

Simple Lifestyle (03:36)

Employees at New Town Bakery prepare dumplings and steamed buns. A poet who lives at the May Wah Hotel picks up lunch. He loves the neighborhood’s rustic charm and laments how quickly it is changing. "Fat Dragon" highlights buildings that will be demolished for condos.

Artist 4 Hire (02:56)

Children chase each other around Cathay Herbal. A young girl draws at Lum's shop; she wants to be a fashion designer. Lum discusses opening his shop and community acceptance.

Tosi & Company (02:46)

The knitting lady returns to her spot. Tosi sells his uncle’s canned tomatoes to a customer. Tosi is the only Italian merchant left in what was once a thriving Italian neighborhood.

Yue Shan Society (04:16)

Ms. Lo leaves writes an inscription on the wall at Artist 4 Hire; she offers to find Lum a girlfriend. Yi Fu Su explains the history of his social club. The apartments that he owns next door will soon be demolished.

Historic Buildings (06:08)

The poet contemplates the future of the May Wah Hotel, built in 1914, and remembers an elderly resident who recently died. Su meets with Rennie to discuss how best to preserve Chinatown’s history.

Chinatown Closures (05:20)

The newspaper woman’s sales are declining. Cathay Herbal suddenly goes out of business, shocking Lum. The owner of Treasure Green Tea Company decides to sell and focus on spiritual study.

Changing Demographics (05:11)

Ms. Lo laughs as she struggles with the lyrics to a song. New Town Bakery & Restaurant has moved; "Fat Dragon" stops by for coffee. More westerners have been frequenting the business. Lum builds a cart, and a street musician keeps the knitting woman company.

Linotype Negotiation (04:40)

Rennie visits Ho Sun Hing Printers to examine a set of vintage matrices he is considering buying. Lum paints his walls in preparation for closing, pausing to admire some of his patrons’ uplifting graffiti.

Holding on to Heritage (03:26)

Tosi has received several offers to buy his business, but he is not willing to give up his “peace and tranquility.” Lum drags his Artist 4 Hire cart past the Wing Sang building. The Oyster Express opens as another neighborhood business closes.

Cocktail Bar and Night Market (05:44)

Patrons frequent the bar and Vancouver Chinatown market. Tosi is reluctant to retire. The owner of Chinese Herbs was once well known, but few know him now.

Credits: Everything Will Be (02:05)

Credits: Everything Will Be