Chinese immigrant and West Coast history comes alive in a new way at the University of British Columbia now that the 25,000-item Chung Collection has a permanent home at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.
Valued at more than $5 million, the Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection is a designated national treasure that provides new perspectives on Canada’s colourful and sometimes troubled history, and the profound experiences of Chinese immigrants.
“The Chung Collection offers us powerful insights into Canada’s past and present,” says UBC President Stephen J. Toope. “We’re very pleased that the wealth of this history is now available to the public.”
The collection includes documents, rare books, maps, posters, paintings, photographs, silver, glass, ceramic ware and other artefacts relating to the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Asian experience in North America, and West Coast history and exploration.
Chung donated the collection to UBC Library in 1999. It was first temporarily exhibited in the heritage core of the Main Library. Now located in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre’s Rare Books and Special Collections Division, the Chung Room has space to display more than 1,000 items at any given time.
“We’re delighted there’s a beautiful, permanent space to house this collection — this will allow many more people to honour the struggles and joys of those who have come before,” says Dr. Chung, a vascular surgeon and professor emeritus in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine. “It’s been a pleasure working with the Rare Books staff on this project.”
As a token of his appreciation to UBC, Chung will add three more unique and rare items — to be revealed at today’s opening ceremony. Other guest speakers during the celebration include acclaimed Canadian author Wayson Choy.
Chung’s gift of this unique and extensive research collection provides a captivating insight into his Canadian heritage, which began when his Chinese grandfather settled in Victoria more than 100 years ago.
The exhibit centrepiece is a four-metre-long builder’s model of the CPR luxury ocean liner Empress of Asia — the pride of Canada’s maritime fleet. In a 4,000-hour labour of love, Chung refurbished the model in exquisite detail.
Chung’s lifelong obsession was inspired by a young boy’s fascination. A poster of the Empress of Asia hung in his father’s Victoria tailor shop. The vessel had carried his mother from China to Canada.
Other items on display include vibrant tourism and immigration posters, a photograph of the first Chinese person born in Canada and the diary of cabinet minister Hector Langevin, in which he identifies Burrard Inlet as CPR’s western terminus.
After collecting memorabilia, Dr. Chung moved on to first editions of Cook’s and Vancouver’s voyages, as well as the remnants of the life and times of nation builders, visionaries and ordinary workers.
The Chung Collection was designated as a national treasure by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board and was valued by the National Archival Appraisal Board.
For more information, visit: www.library.ubc.ca/chung/main.html
– 30 –
