touristy things i did in vancouver (part 2)

(Vancouver, Canada).  My husband and I were in Vancouver for only three days and we didn't want to feel rushed so we visited tourist attractions only if they appealed to us at the moment and fit into our relaxing schedule.  So what else did we do and see besides Stanley Park and Yaletown? (see part 1 here)

• Eat Dim Sum of course!  There is a large Cantonese population in Canada and that means lots of Cantonese cuisine - including dim sum.  It's not like I can't get dim sum in Los Angeles but I don't tire of the stuff so why not enjoy it in a new city?  After a lot of research, we picked Dynasty Seafood.  The food was tasty and authentic - so much so, that this was probably the only place in Vancouver where we received slightly rude service.  But I did say it was authentic right?  We tried a nice array of items, but I didn't realize our guest didn't eat gluten or certain seafood and meats... This of course resulted in me overeating since I didn't want to waste food.  (sigh)

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• Taking in some culture at the Vancouver Art Gallery.  This was a bit serendipitous.  While strolling around we noticed banners publicizing an exhibit "The Forbidden City:  Inside the Court of China's Emperors" and it was the last day!  We got there after our stroll at Stanley Park and fortunately we beat the crowds.  The exhibit was very interesting.  I have a very spotty idea of Chinese history even though I'm Taiwanese so I felt rather educated by all the timelines and informational plaques displayed throughout the exhibit.  What I found most amusing were the actual photos of the last empress and her court - it's clear that the notion of Eastern beauty is very different from that of Western beauty.  I also particularly enjoyed seeing the silk outfit for the imperial dog and the personal artifacts of the court ladies.  
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 Unfortunately that exhibit is closed now, but they still have a very good exhibit on Chinese artists called "Unscrolled: Reframing Tradition in Chinese Art".  My husband and I have seen several exhibits of modern Chinese artists and we were generally unimpressed, but this particular exhibit portrayed a wonderful array of different styles and compelling works from these artists.  We especially enjoyed the ink mural and video installment by Sun Xun (visually stunning and an interesting blend of traditional techniques in a modern medium) and the stool installment by Ai Wei Wei.

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   GasTown.  I'm guessing a touristy trip to Vancouver will definitely include GasTown - which is right next to Chinatown and some shady alleyways and streets where drug deals are going down.   Our concierge was very adamant that we stay in GasTown.  But don't be alarmed - it's similar to downtown Los Angeles where you can take a wrong turn and be in Skid Row.  Just be careful and everything should be fine.  But back to
  
  
  GasTown... very nice and upscale area of boutiques, trendy restaurants, gastropubs, souvenir shops, local coffeehouses and fancy tea shops.  

I definitely enjoyed shopping here (more than Yaletown) for myself and for gifts for others.  My husband spent the whole afternoon watching football games at a pub while I shopped so we were both happy!