360 Riot Walk project – informal talk with Henry Tsang

360 Riot Walk is an audio-visual experience developed by Henry Tsang that traces the history and route of the mob that attacked Vancouver’s Chinese Canadian and Japanese Canadian communities following a demonstration and parade organized by the city’s Asiatic Exclusion League.

The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots are one of the most significant events in this city’s history, and reflect the socio-political environment of the time, when many communities were targeted through legislative and physical acts of exclusion and violence. Using a mix of present-day and archival photographs and documents, the tour uses 360° video technology to offer an immersive view of this important chapter in Vancouver’s complex story.

The project will be made available for online streaming, allowing people to explore the story on their own outside of the scheduled tours. The full soundtrack will be accessible in English, Cantonese, Japanese, and Punjabi.

360 Riot Walk is produced by Henry Tsang in collaboration with Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Partners include the Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall, the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC, Carnegie Community Centre, and the Basically Good Media Lab at Emily Carr University. This Project has been supported through the Neighbourhood Matching Fund of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, SSHRC Explore Grant, and Emily Carr University of Art & Design.