Two historic lion statues outside the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver's Chinatown neighbourhood were vandalized Friday, just days after Lunar New Year.
The white statues were defaced with bright blue and red paint.
Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said the department's hate crimes team is investigating the incident.
"It's so disheartening to see crimes like this happen over and over again in Chinatown," Addison said. "It's a historic neighbourhood full of wonderful people who work hard and take great pride in their community."
Numerous acts of vandalism have been committed at the cultural centre, the nearby Chinatown Millennium Gate and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden in recent years.
In December, Yves Castonguay was sentenced to 240 days in jail after pleading guilty to mischief in connection to racist graffiti scrawled on the cultural centre in April 2020.
