Vancouver: Asia's Newest City

What? Wait a minute! Did I read that right? I thought Vancouver was in Canada, not in Asia. Why is the title of this article "Vancouver: Asia's Newest City"?
　　Relax, everyone. Yes, Vancouver is still in Canada, North America's largest country, not in Asia. Over the past twenty years, however, Asians from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, and other countries across the ocean have flocked into this largest city on Canada's Pacific coast. By some accounts, as many as 30% of households in Vancouver speak Mandarin or Cantonese, making the Chinese there the largest minority by far. Just what is the attraction of this English-speaking city, however?
　　A visit to Vancouver quickly reveals her charms. Situated on the ocean and possessing a fine, deep-water port, British Columbia's largest city faces Vancouver Island to the west and mountains to the east and north. Most of the city is relatively new, having been rebuilt after a great fire in 1886. The completion of the Panama Canal in 1915 during World War I helped spur growth all along the West Coast of North America, as products from the western states of the United States and the western provinces of Canada could be profitably shipped to Europe. By the 1930s Vancouver had become Canada's third-largest city, a position it maintains today. Lumber from the extensive forested areas within the province, minerals, seafood, and assorted industries, including tourism, give the million-plus residents of metropolitan Vancouver a high standard of living.
　　The city itself is comfortable and attractive. A large central park called Stanley Park includes a zoo, gardens, arboretum, and aquarium! The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University are located in the greater Vancouver area, as are many small and quaint farming and fishing villages within a few hours' drive. Scenic, unpolluted, and prosperous: who could ask for anything more?
　　Certainly not the Chinese. Although limited immigration from the Far East began as early as the 19th century, it was not until the 1970s that immigration to both Canada and the United States began to increase significantly. By the 1980s, the steady stream had become a flood. Today, Vancouver's Chinatown is said to be North America's second largest. Given the large numbers of Chinese living in the much larger cities of New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, that represents astronomical growth.
　　Vancouver's Chinatown is located within walking distance of the downtown area, as are most Chinatowns in North America. Here one can find both traditional Chinese herbal stores and fresh food markets as well as small retail and service businesses. From mid-May to September, Friday to Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 11:30, both Chinese and "foreign" visitors to this area might mistake themselves as being in Shanghai or Hong Kong. For daytime visitors, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens is a must, offering beautifully landscaped floral gardens. The nearby Chinese Cultural Center conducts walking tours of the historic district and even a slide show revealing the historic development of the area.
　　Of course, Vancouver has much more to offer its residents and out-of-town and overseas visitors. Though--or perhaps because--it lacks the manic energy of East Coast cities of North America or those of modern Asia, Vancouver continues to attract new residents with its serene, safe, and, well, sane lifestyle.

　　咦？等一下！我没有看错吧？我以为温哥华是在加拿大，而不是在亚洲的。为什么这篇文章的标题却是：“温哥华——亚洲新城”？
　　各位看倌，不要紧张。没错，温哥华仍位在北美洲最大的国家加拿大境内，而不是在亚洲。然而，过去20年中，来自中国、台湾、香港、泰国、菲律宾以及其它亚洲国家的各路人马大批涌进这个位于加拿大太平洋海岸的最大都市。根据若干统计，在温哥华多达30%的家庭操华语或广东话，使得当地华人成为人数最多的少数民族。然而，这个操英语的都市到底有什么吸引力呢？
　　到温哥华走一趟很快就会发现它的魅力了。这个英属哥伦比亚的最大都市座落在太平洋岸上，拥有一个很不错的深水港，西临温哥华岛，东边和北边则是群山环绕。温哥华大部分地区是在1886年大火之后重建的，所以整个市貌看起来相当新。1915年第一次世界大战期间，巴拿马运河完工，使得美国西岸几个州和加拿大西部几个省的产品可运往欧洲销售牟利，整个北美洲的西海岸得以蓬勃发展。到了1930年代，温哥华就已成了加拿大第三大都市，至今，这个地位还没改变。该省内广大林区所生产的木材、矿产、海鲜及各式各样工业，包括旅游业在内，为这个人口超过百万的大温哥华地区带来很高的生活水平。
　　温哥华本身就是一个舒适又具有吸引力的都市。史坦利公园是座大型的中央公园，内有一座动物园，数座花园，一座植物园和一间水族馆。英属哥伦比亚大学和赛门‧佛瑞瑟大学则位于大温哥华区，区内尚有许多具有特色的小渔村或小农村，开车只要几个钟头就可到达。风景优美，无污染而且繁荣：还有什么可求的呢？
　　对中国人而言，的确没什么可求的了。虽然来自亚洲远东地区的移民早在十九世纪就开始了，不过数量有限，直到1970年代，前往美加两国的移民数量才开始剧增。到了1980年代，这股稳定的移民潮才像洪水般涌入。今天，温哥华的中国城据说已是北美洲第二大中国城。与住在纽约、多伦多、洛杉矶和旧金山等更大城市的华人人数相比，这样的成长算是非常快速的了。
　　温哥华的中国城离市中心很近，步行就可到达；这情形就如同北美地区的大多数中国城一样。在中国城里您可以找到传统的中药店和新鲜市场、零售店及服务业。每年5月中旬到9月间，中外的观光客如果在星期五到星期天晚上六点半到11点半这段时间造访中国城，不论是老中及“老外”，都很可能会误以为自己是身处在上海或香港。对白天的观光客来说，孙逸仙中式古典花园是必游之地，它提供了非常美丽的花园景观。邻近的中国文化中心会举办古迹徒步旅游，甚至还举办幻灯片展，透露中国城的发展史。
　　当然，温哥华还有更多的东西值得居民、外地人及海外观光客游览。虽然温哥华缺乏北美东岸都市或亚洲现代都市的狂热活力，但或许正因如此，温哥华不断地以它特有的宁静、安全、富裕以及理性的生活方式吸引着新移民。