Chinatown is celebrating its vitality. Two parallel running blacks in Keefer and Pender Streets are transformed into an open market weekend evenings, putting a new mask on Chinatown from now to the end of September.

Over eighty stalls are showcased from 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm. The market will reach full swing during the heat of summer, with the number of stalls reaching 160. Each table is full of goods to look through, ranging from ginseng to CDs.

It is the spicy food sensations that will truly capture people’s attention. Snacks ranging from dim-sum to the secret taste of Dragon Beard candy are displayed. Crowds gather to quench their thirst with iced green tea, shaken fresh for each customer. Walking around and having good food in the street can be viewed as an Asian way of “eating out” – a way to enjoy a street buffet!

When it comes to bargaining and haggling, hawkers and consumers alike are immersed in an orchestra of vocal exchanges, harmonizing with the busy traffic revving around. When one says Chinatown is as noisy as a market that may be a disguised complement.

With both buyers and sellers from different ethnic groups engaging in business and showing off skills in their down-to-earth manner, Chinatown night market is exhibiting its own alternative form of cultural diversity.

Have fun – it’s like an open-air party!