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Princeton Museum hosts travelling exhibit.

Apr 22, 2021

Royal BC Museum’s Gold Mountain Dream! opens in Princeton


PRINCETON, BC – The British Columbia gold rush of 1858 is a significant event in the creation of a province and the unification of a country, but its repercussions stretched far beyond the borders of what was to become Canada.

With its new Gold Mountain Dream! exhibition, on display at the Princeton Museum from May through September, the Royal BC Museum explores how the gold rush not only changed the landscapes and lives in BC, but how this monumental event changed China, as people flocked to a rugged land in search of fortune.

With May being Asian Heritage Month and BC Mining Month, it is the perfect time to present this exhibition and we are grateful to the Copper Mountain Mining Corporation for sponsoring this event.

Gold Mountain Dream! – created by the Royal BC Museum in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of History – tells the personal stories and sacrifices of Chinese migrants in the 1850s as they landed on British Columbia shores in search of gold. It is a fascinating account of adventure, heartbreak and social upheaval.

“This is an often overlooked but an extremely important chapter in our collective history; reflecting on this period helps us understand diverse communities then and now,” says Royal BC Museum curator of history, Dr. Tzu-I Chung. ”This exhibition brings to life the indelible contribution of Chinese Canadians in shaping the province of B.C. and the nation, despite the enormous challenges they faced, and hopefully provides a roadmap to a better, more-inclusive future.”

The travelling exhibit will be supplemented with selected artefacts from the Princeton Museum’s own Chinese Collection. Before the 20th century, there were more Chinese in the Princeton District than any other single race. They began mining the Similkameen River and its tributaries from the time of the Fraser River Gold Rush and continued for over 50 years.

Through archival photographs and documentation, material culture and storytelling, Gold Mountain Dream! tells the story of how this fevered era contended with class and racial barriers while people seized the extraordinary opportunities that glittered before them.

Previously, Gold Mountain Dream! was displayed at the Guangdong Museum of Chinese Nationals Residing Abroad in Guangzhou, China, as part of a series of cultural exchange activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the twinning relationship between BC and Guangdong Province in 2015.

Now, this internationally acclaimed exhibition will be on display from May 1st through September 15th at the Princeton and District Museum and Archives facility, 167 Vermilion Avenue, Princeton, BC. Check the website (www.princetonmuseum.org) or Facebook for more details. Reservations may be required.

Gold Mountain Dream! is made possible through the generous support of the Government of British Columbia, The BC government contributed $200,000 to this exhibition and to other exciting projects related to the Chinese Historical Wrongs Legacy Initiative. This exhibition was proudly supported by Chinese Cultural Centre.






About the Princeton Museum
Since 1958, the Museum has maintained a collection of items of significance for the community. The Princeton and District Museum and Archives Society was formed in 1970 and is a registered charity that runs the Museum in partnership with the Town of Princeton. The organization recognizes that its activities occur on the traditional lands of the Upper Similkameen First Nation. We are proud to serve as a repository for the First Nations Peoples. In addition to items of cultural significance, our holdings contain a huge selection of minerals and fossils. A Virtual Tour and several other resources are available from our webpage: www.princetonmuseum.org

About the Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Looking to the future, the Royal BC Museum will be a refreshed, modern museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures.



PDMA Media contact:
Todd Davidson
Manager, PDMA,
PO Box 281,
167 Vermilion Ave,
Princeton, BC, V0X 1W0,
250-295-7588
[email protected]

Royal BC Museum Media Inquiries
250-387-3207
[email protected]
@RoyalBCMuseum

Company Contact Information:

Company: Princeton and District Museum and Archives Society
Contact Name: Todd Davidson
Contact Phone: 2502957588
Contact Email: [email protected]
Company Website: www.princetonmuseum.org
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