168 E Pender Street is the address of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre — but it’s so much more than just a number.
The team behind 168 magazine chose it as their title because it also translates to “road to prosperity in Chinese, [which] fits better with our vision for the future of this community,” said managing editor Jolie Zhou.
The youth-led magazine centres letters written by members of the Chinatown community based on memories of and aspirations for the area. Each letter conveys a different perspective on the community. Restaurant owners, musicians, artists — all pieces of the puzzle that make Chinatown what it is.
The magazine launched in late November at an event co-hosted by the Chinatown Storytelling Centre and re:Naissance Opera as part of this year’s Indiefest.
Over shared nostalgic snacks and boxed chrysanthemum drinks, the 168 team — which consists of five high school students, as well as an advising editor — broke down the process and intent behind the project.
168’s advising editor Blake Abbie is a past IndieFest performer, and is the current editor-in-chief of the fashion publication A Magazine Curated By. He led the team of students through the process of gathering letters, designing and editing the magazine.
Abbie’s experience in publishing inspired the magazine format of 168, which currently only exists as a physical publication — an intentional choice to move away from the digital world and create something more “precious,” he said.
The magazine was also created with the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act in mind. Zhou said she “hope[s] that this magazine can make our readers reflect on the past, and carry the lessons learned 100 years into the future with hope.”
At the launch, Abbie read out a letter by artist Paul Wong. In 2018, Wong began an artist residency at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden to develop community-engaged art programs at the garden. One of his most memorable projects is the Pride in Chinatown arts festival, which spotlights Queer Asian artists and has continued to grow during the five years it’s been running.
“We successfully queered Chinatown,” Wong wrote in his letter.
In her letter to the future, author Madeleine Thien reflects on the shifting landscape of Chinatown. For her, being unable to witness all of these changes within her lifetime is both bittersweet and hopeful.
“If you were to describe the streets around you, I might not recognize them. So much will have changed,” Thien writes. “But I hope these streets will remain a place where people gather — a refuge, a world of many layers, where moments of routine and delight intermingle.”
Chinatown has similarly become a refuge for editor Felicia Jiang. She said working on 168 has helped her reconnect with her roots, recalling her childhood weekend routine with her grandmother: They’d buy lottery tickets from the corner store, meat from the butcher’s, buns from New Town Bakery — things she had to leave behind after moving away from the area.
“Being a part of this project has given me an invitation to welcome everyone back into the nostalgic and welcoming experience that I've had when I've walked into Chinatown,” said Jiang.
Other team members came into the project with little idea of what to expect.
Editor Carol Wang had never been to Chinatown before joining the 168 team. She had preconceived ideas of what it might be like, but was shocked by the diversity of the experiences of its community members — while reading the magazine, most might share this sentiment.
“[This magazine] is an exploration of those different narratives, perspectives, and experiences,” Wang said. “From cover to cover, we hope to captivate your intellect, provoke thoughtful reflection, and also [provide] a platform for this amazing community and Chinatown to be recognized and renewed.”
The inaugural issue of 168 can be purchased from Foo Hung Curios.