Museum Exhibit on Rice at the Vancouver Museum

History of this Grain on Display in British Columbia, Canada

Sep 10, 2007

Vancouver's strong Asian community makes this museum exhibit a popular one at the Vancouver Museum in BC.

A museum exhibit dedicated solely to rice seems fascinating, more because there’s only so much one can know about the subject, right?

That’s where the museum exhibit, Rice is Life at the Vancouver Museum becomes even more interesting. The facts are astounding and relics on display are thought-provoking in this British Columbia gem.

Rice is Life at the Vancouver Museum

Rice Museum Exhibit in British Columbia

Begin with the short video near the entrance to the exhibit, which will introduce the basics of farming, the grain itself and what it is. Then go from the beginning and look closely at all of the artefacts on display.

Most amazing are the “Winnower,” an antique wooden hand machine from Hong Kong; the Hudoq mask, which came from Mahakann River Basin, Apo Kayan, Borneo originally, and was transported by one of the curators from Holland; and the Farmer’s Raincoat from early 20th century Japan that is also on display with matching sandals.

Also intriguing was the art project from Emily Carr students near the end of the exhibit. They were asked to make pieces in boxes from what they had learned about rice while the exhibit was being researched. The most thought provoking was a box by Elizabeth Minaker with 100 bags of 1 cup of rice. She states that a person can survive on 1 cup or rice a day and this box could sustain 100 people. The simplicity and immensity of it were provocative.

Thought there was only brown rice and white rice? There are, in fact, around 100,000 varieties of it, all different.

Who Cares About Rice?

More countries than not are sustained mainly by rice. According to the UN, 20% of the world’s dietary supply relies on the grain and over 1 billion households depend on it for their livelihood.

Asia is the largest grower of rice, with more than 2 billion people consuming rice products as their staple diet. Not only is it important for eating, but it’s laced through religion, culture, social identity and artistic expression.

Rice as More Than Food

The simple grain is used in almost every society, from throwing it on newly wedded couples, to eating it for good luck at the Lunar New Year. In Burmese, it’s a vital part of their folklore and in China sacrificial altars and offerings are a regular sight.

Japan’s emperor is said to be the living embodiment of the god of the ripened rice plant; Cambodia’s early wealth came from the irrigation of rice crops. Today, there are festivals dedicated to the grain and a deep appreciation of its value.

Where Did Rice Come From?

Although not entirely known, rice has been around as the oldest, continuously grown cereal crop in the world. Experts agree that it was probably first used over 6,500 years ago in Southeast Asia.

The African variety was seen as far back as 300 AD near the Inland Delta of the Niger River (modern day Mali). We will perhaps never know exactly where and when rice began to grow, but we know that it has become one of the most significant harvests in the world.

The copyright of the article Museum Exhibit on Rice at the Vancouver Museum in British Columbia Travel is owned by Lori Henry. Permission to republish Museum Exhibit on Rice at the Vancouver Museum in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.