Introduction by Lily Cho. Interview by Gabrielle Moser.
In a stunning visual journey, Lum reveals how Chinatowns across North America are defined by both their evolving architecture and their rich cultural identity
Published with WORK BOOK.
Over the past decade, Chinese Canadian photographer Morris Lum (born 1983) has embarked on an extensive exploration of the Chinatown communities scattered across Canada and the United States. Focusing on the architecture and evolution of these enclaves, Lum delves into how "Chinese" identity is shaped and expressed through their structures. Using a large-format camera, he has captured Chinatowns in cities such as Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City and Boston. Through his objective lens, Lum chronicles the rapid transformations these communities face, documenting the shifting architectural and economic landscapes. His colorful photographs offer a poignant visual record, spotlighting both historical and modern-day cultural landmarks—small family-owned businesses, iconic Chinese restaurants and vital community organizations—that define these neighborhoods.
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
CNN
Oscar Holland
[Lum's] archive serves more than posterity. Often returning to the same sites over several years, he captures real-time visual evidence of shifting migration patterns and demographic trends.
STATUS: Out of stock
Temporarily out of stock pending additional inventory.
Featured image, titled “Golden Happiness Plaza, Calgary” (2015), is from Chinatowns: Tong Yan Gaai, Chinese Canadian photographer Morris Lum’s affectionately deadpan documentation of Chinatowns across North America. “Chinatown is Chinese, and it is not,” Lily Cho writes. “It is a place, and it is an idea. It is imagined, and it is deeply and dynamically real. It remains unchanged in that it accommodates constant change while still remaining recognizably Chinatown. Morris Lum’s photographs capture these contradictions and complexities. These photographs do not fossilize Chinatown into a particular time even as they insist upon the endurance of Chinatown as a place.” continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 11.75 x 9.5 in. / 192 pgs / 110 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $39.95 LIST PRICE: CANADA $54.95 GBP £32.00 ISBN: 9781636811796 PUBLISHER: DelMonico Books AVAILABLE: 10/28/2025 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: Out of stock TERRITORY: WORLD
Published by DelMonico Books. Introduction by Lily Cho. Interview by Gabrielle Moser.
In a stunning visual journey, Lum reveals how Chinatowns across North America are defined by both their evolving architecture and their rich cultural identity
Published with WORK BOOK.
Over the past decade, Chinese Canadian photographer Morris Lum (born 1983) has embarked on an extensive exploration of the Chinatown communities scattered across Canada and the United States. Focusing on the architecture and evolution of these enclaves, Lum delves into how "Chinese" identity is shaped and expressed through their structures. Using a large-format camera, he has captured Chinatowns in cities such as Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City and Boston. Through his objective lens, Lum chronicles the rapid transformations these communities face, documenting the shifting architectural and economic landscapes. His colorful photographs offer a poignant visual record, spotlighting both historical and modern-day cultural landmarks—small family-owned businesses, iconic Chinese restaurants and vital community organizations—that define these neighborhoods.
