Richmond occupies Lulu Island and Sea Island in the mouth of the Fraser River, a low-lying delta landscape entirely at or near sea level and protected from flooding by an extensive dike system. Sea Island, in the western portion of the municipality, is home to Vancouver International Airport, which serves the broader region. Lulu Island, where the majority of residents live, is connected to Vancouver and Delta by bridges crossing the north and south arms of the Fraser.
Commercial Corridors and Culture
The city has one of the highest proportions of residents of Chinese descent of any municipality in North America, and that demographic reality shapes the commercial landscape visibly. No. 3 Road, the main retail corridor, is lined with Asian supermarkets, bubble tea shops, dim sum restaurants, and enclosed malls oriented toward Chinese-speaking residents and visitors. The Richmond Night Market, operating seasonally in the Aberdeen area, draws large crowds each weekend for street food, merchandise, and live entertainment, and is one of the largest outdoor night markets in North America.
Steveston and Agricultural Land
Steveston, at the southwestern tip of Lulu Island, has a different atmosphere entirely. The historic fishing village sits on the south arm of the Fraser and retains heritage buildings along Moncton Street, a Gulf of Georgia Cannery national historic site, and a working fishing dock where fresh catch can be bought directly from boats during season. The residential streets of Steveston are low-rise and quiet, with a seawall walking route along the dike offering views across the river to Delta farmland. Agricultural land reserve properties in the east and south of Richmond keep portions of the municipality in active farm use, with cranberry bogs and greenhouses visible along Westminster Highway.