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Chinese Cemetery

Memorials	:	116
Location	:	Nanaimo, Nanaimo Regional District, Canada
Coordinate	:	49.1809740, -123.9735250
Description	:	The Chinese Cemetery is a rare, tangible link with Nanaimo's Chinese heritage. The Chinese, almost wholly single men, came to Nanaimo as early as the 1860's to work in the mines or to open businesses. Perceived as unfair competition because of their willingness to work for lower wages than white employees, the Chinese were the source of much labor conflict during the 19th century. Initially, the Chinese settled in what is now downtown Nanaimo but in the 1880's they were removed, by the coal company, to the outskirts of town in an effort to reduce tensions. By 1908,... Read More	The Chinese Cemetery is a rare, tangible link with Nanaimo's Chinese heritage. The Chinese, almost wholly single men, came to Nanaimo as early as the 1860's to work in the mines or to open businesses. Perceived as unfair competition because of their willingness to work for lower wages than white employees, the Chinese were the source of much labor conflict during the 19th century. Initially, the Chinese settled in what is now downtown Nanaimo but in the 1880's they were removed, by the coal company, to the outskirts of town in an effort to reduce tensions. By 1908, the new Chinatown, one of the largest in North America at the time, was establised near the western edge of the city. This last Chinatown was destroyed by fire in 1960, although much of its population had already dispersed. Because there is so little other tangible evidence left of the Nanaimo's Chinese heritage, the Chinese Cemetery is especially significant. It was built in 1924 and was taken care of by the Chinese community in Nanaimo area (from Chemainus to Qualicum Beach). In the 1970's it was refurbished by the Nanaimo's Chinese Canadian community and donated to the City of Nanaimo who now operates the cemetery. It is no longer exclusively a Chinese cemetery, but the name has been kept. There are now many people of European descent in the cemetery. Many of the headstones are in Chinese inscriptions; this along with the painted entry gates, pagoda, altar and shrine it retains the distint Chinese character. There are no upright-markers at this cemetery; they are all flat. Because I can only read English I have included all headstones that are written in English. But there are many more in Chinese which I may include one day if I locate a list of all headstones information written in English as well or if I see a relative and they give me the information. An interesting note: Because the cemetery was located in a secluded area on top of a hill hidden from the Caucasian people (at the time), it is now in a very prominent location that no one misses as they drive on Townsite Road. It also has one of the best views in Nanaimo for a cemetery.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Chinese Cemetery?
Chinese Cemetery is located at 1598 Townsite Rd. Nanaimo, Nanaimo Regional District ,British Columbia ,Canada.
Chinese Cemetery cemetery's updated grave count on graveviews.com?
116 memorials
Where are the coordinates of the Chinese Cemetery?
Latitude: 49.1809740
Longitude: -123.9735250

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Nearby Cemetories:

1. Nanaimo Municipal Cemetery
Nanaimo, Nanaimo Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1700700, -123.9540000

2. Pioneer Cemetery Park
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Coordinate: 49.1700390, -123.9419500

3. Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Cemetery
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4. Snuneymuxw Reserve No. 1 Cemetery
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5. Living Reef Memorial - Pipers Lagoon
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6. Wellington Cemetery
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Coordinate: 49.2103880, -124.0301940

7. Cedar Valley Memorial Gardens
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Coordinate: 49.0882400, -123.8515200

8. Gabriola Cemetery
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Coordinate: 49.1313000, -123.7652300

9. Ladysmith Cemetery
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Coordinate: 48.9991270, -123.8320430

10. Kulleet Bay Cemetery
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Coordinate: 49.0133400, -123.7898900

11. Yates Cemetery
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Coordinate: 49.3033714, -124.3305283

12. Saint Mary's Anglican Church Cemetery
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Coordinate: 49.2896100, -124.3680300

13. Saint Anne's Anglican Church Cemetery
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Coordinate: 49.3287315, -124.3437805

14. Reid Island Cemetery
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Coordinate: 49.0018310, -123.6272820

15. Saint Michael & All Angels Anglican Cemetery
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Coordinate: 48.9128600, -123.7088100

16. Saint Hilda's Pioneer Cemetery
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Coordinate: 49.4721430, -123.7651910

17. Seaview Cemetery
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Coordinate: 49.4066100, -123.5659800

18. Qualicum Beach Cemetery
Qualicum Beach, Nanaimo Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.3409200, -124.4505200

19. Westholme Cemetery
Westholme, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 48.8825550, -123.6878190

20. Gibsons Cemetery
Gibsons, Sunshine Coast Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.4214700, -123.5308300

21. Gibson Family Cemetery
Gibsons, Sunshine Coast Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.4020700, -123.5053600

22. Mount Elphinstone Pioneer Cemetery
Gibsons, Sunshine Coast Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.4228870, -123.5300210

23. Mountain View Cemetery
Duncan, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 48.8032900, -123.7364400

24. St. Mary’s Anglican Cemetery
Duncan, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 48.7997390, -123.7362820

Chinese Cemetery

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