Celebrate Tea, Ceremony, and Community at Vancouver’s Garden Tea Festival
This month brings the return of the Garden Tea Festival, happening on May 17, 2025, at the serene Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. The event encompasses a wondrous array of programming, including tea tastings, musical performances, and educational workshops—making it lively for tea enthusiasts or anyone seeking a unique spring event.
The calm and beautiful surroundings of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden are the ideal backdrop for the Festival. Located in the heart of the city’s historic Chinatown, the Ming Dynasty-style garden opened in 1986 as the first like it outside of China. In addition to receiving awards as a garden (e.g., Canadian Garden of the Year by the Canadian Garden Tourism Council, 2012), it also was given the 2022 City of Vancouver Award of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion. This award recognizes the work that the Garden does to bring diverse people together through events like the Garden Tea Festival.
The Festival, which runs from 10am to 5pm on May 17, showcases the cultural, artistic, and technical aspects of tea through a variety of different activities that will run throughout the day. The event is being supported by The Edna May Eng Family Foundation.
Local boutique tea companies will be in attendance, with an array of tea samples as well as tea-related products. These sips of tea can be accompanied by treats, including Chinese and Japanese snacks and baked goods.
Ceremony plays a significant role in Chinese tea culture. The Chinese tea ceremony, which focuses on reflection and gratitude, connects family and friends in shared ritual. Visitors can look forward to the tea ceremony, as well as an incense ceremony with agarwood appreciation. A photo booth of the tea ceremony will be available, along with hanfu clothing for trying on (provided by SiruPlum Culture Studio).
Many other cultural elements will be on display, including an interactive Chinese calligraphy demonstration and performances by young talented musicians with the BC Chinese Music Association-BC Chinese Music Ensemble. They’ll be playing traditional Asian instruments, such as the guzheng (a plucked zither).
Finally, in addition to celebrating culture and cultivating community, the event is also educational, with multiple workshops presented by tea experts. Kevin Gascoyne, Director of the Canadian Tea Association, co-owner of Montreal’s Camellia Sinensis Teahouse, and co-author of Tea: History, Terroir, Varieties, will be the keynote speaker. Other workshops include one comparing Yunnan specialty coffee to Yunnan tea; another given by O5 Rare Tea Bar on Japanese foam tea; a Japanese Tea 101 session; and a Traditional Chinese Tea workshop for beginners.
Tickets are $12 per person plus fee (attendees are encouraged to bring a cup that holds less than 40mL) or $15 per person plus fee (which includes a small teacup for the tastings). Book early to avoid disappointment. The event is free for Garden Annual Pass holders.
Make sure to stroll through the many tranquil spaces of the Garden, which includes pagodas, ponds, rockeries, pathways, and special trees.
Before or after the Festival, you can have a meal or a snack at one of the nearby establishments in Chinatown. These include neighbourhood favourites like Jade Dynasty Dim Sum, Chinatown BBQ, and New Town Bakery & Restaurant, in addition to newer places such as Mello (doughnuts), Pizza Coming Soon (dinner onwards), Bao Bei (dinner onwards), MILA (plant-based), and Juke Fried Chicken.
See here for more information and tickets on the Garden Tea Festival.