Since 2017, the Lytton Chinese History Museum has been committed to preserving and presenting the history of Chinese people in Lytton and the Interior of British Columbia.
The museum sits on the provincially recognized heritage site that once held the Lytton Joss House.
Traditionally, a Joss House is a place within a communal house where deities are set on an altar for worship, offering, and spiritual connection.
In 1881, a building known as the Lytton Joss House was built by Chinese people who were in the Lytton area. It served as a guest house, community meeting space, and a place of religion.
Quan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy) and Shen Nong (the God of Agriculture) were among the deities honoured there.
After the Joss House site was declared a BC Heritage site, museum director Lorna Fandrich oversaw the construction of the Lytton Chinese History Museum on the site. The building was designed to be the same size as the original Joss House.
The museum opened on May 13, 2017 on the historic site.
On June 30, 2021, the Lytton Creek wildfire destroyed the downtown core of Lytton, including the museum and its collection and archives.
Volunteers associated with the British Columbia Heritage Emergency Recovery Network combed through the burnt ruins of the museum to recover artifacts.
Thanks to the support of generous donors, the museum was reconstructed in the years following the fire. It was one of the first businesses to be rebuilt in Lytton.
The Lytton Chinese History Museum reopened its doors on May 3, 2025.
Today, the museum welcomes visitors from all parts of the world.
In doing so, it reaffirms its commitment to collecting, preserving and displaying artifacts and photographs to encourage a greater understanding of the experiences, hardships and contributions of thousands of Chinese miners, railway workers, merchants and farmers in the Interior of British Columbia.
Meet the Museum Director
The Lytton Chinese History Museum is owned and operated by sole proprietor Lorna Fandrich.
Lorna is a lay researcher, community champion and grandmother who has lived in Lytton since the 1970s. She operated Kumsheen Raft Adventures with her husband Bernie for many decades and now devotes herself full-time to the museum.
