There’s a new guardian watching over Edmonton’s Chinatown.
Artist Branden Cha unveiled his latest mural, the Azure Dragon of the East, at a ceremony Saturday evening.
“We have these ancestral beasts that are protecting the most sacred places and I thought it would be very appropriate to bring that message to Chinatown,” Cha said.
It’s the second mural of the Four Guardians project by Cha, who is also known by his artist name Busyrawk.
The Azure Dragon joins the White Tiger of the West as the first two guardians. They will be joined by the Vermilion Bird of the South and the Black Tortoise of the North in the coming years.
Cha wants to spread a message of inclusion and responsibility with the pieces.
“Chinatown is a neighbourhood of inclusion that comes with responsibilities,” Cha said, noting the sentiment extends to the local Indigenous community.
As people plan to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday, the dragon mural has its own tribute.
The mural’s poem includes lines about sharing the land with Indigenous Peoples and acknowledging past and present wrongs.
“We have to connect with Indigenous communities to learn what really happened on this land,” Cha said.
Cha points to homelessness in particular, which disproportionately affects Indigenous people.
“We have to make sure our unhoused community members have adequate resources. We have to have enough shelters and services to let people get back on their feet,” Cha said.
Others involved in the project say those problems have to be considered in plans for a revitalized Chinatown.
“Revitalization means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” said William Lau, with Chinatown RE: VITA. “For us, I think, we make sure that folks who come and get involved in the community do so with a deep sense of responsibility – ensure that our work and our vision for the future of Chinatown is grounded in culture.”