Wong's year-long residency “身在唐人街/Occupying Chinatown” at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden was one of five projects commissioned as part of the Public Art Program's 2017 Artist-Initiated Public Call.

"身在唐人街/OCCUPYING CHINATOWN" was Paul Wong’s year-long artist residency at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden that launched in Spring 2018. As part of the residency Wong created a series of artworks based on 700+ letters in Chinese sent by 90 writers to his mother Suk-Fong Wong, as well as other familial artefacts such as her Chinese medicine collection and photos. The artist also presented a series of programs and workshops with other artists and community members that included a pride event, artist talks, and a series of Chinese herb and medicine workshops.

The letters and artworks were presented as part of his exhibition "淑芳你好嘛 /Suk-Fong Nay Ho Mah / Suk-Fong, How Are You?" at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in January 2019, and provided an account of China’s shifting cultural and political landscapes told through the personal perspectives of Wong’s family, offering a unique understanding of China’s transformation in the late-twentieth century. The project was also documented through the website www.occupyingchinatown.com and will include a forthcoming publication. The city’s Public Artwork “Saltwater City Vancouver/鹹水埠温哥华”now located in the alleyway of 475 Main street was also developed as part of Wong’s 身在唐人街/OCCUPYING CHINATOWN project.