Chinese Canadian Museum to open in Vancouver in July

OTTAWA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Canadian Museum, the first of its kind in Canada, will officially open to the public on July 1, the Canadian government said on Tuesday.

The museum, based in Vancouver's Chinatown, will honour the history, contributions, and living heritage of Chinese Canadians, according to a news release from Canadian Heritage.

The release said it will also mark the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act, more commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, a discriminatory and racist policy that almost completely prevented people from China from entering Canada for nearly a quarter century.

According to the release, the museum's inaugural exhibition will be "The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act," presenting key themes and learnings about the act, highlighting personal connections through stories of individuals and families who lived through that time, and exploring elements of the act and its devastating impact on the Chinese community.

The Canadian government has supported the museum with an investment of more than 5 million Canadian dollars (3.7 million U.S. dollars), the release said.