San Francisco’s Chinatown is one of the great visitor attractions in the downtown area. A vibrant and colourful area centred around Grant Avenue and Stockton Street it is a ‘must see’ when visiting the city. Not only is it the oldest Chinatown in North America, but also the largest outside Asia. Established in 1848, Chinatown has been highly influential in Chinese immigrant culture across the US. Chinatown encompasses 24 square blocks in an area of half a mile long by a quarter mile wide. The boundaries are Kearny Street in the east, Broadway in the north, Powell Street in the west, and Bush Street in the south.
It’s the perfect place to relax and people watch … A visit to Chinatown is not to be rushed. The area is full of hustle and bustle and actually receives more visitors annually than the Golden Gate Bridge. In Chinatown, allow yourself to immerse in the culture.
The Atmosphere
Chinatown is full of colour, light and noise. The shops sell all manner of souvenirs, key rings, lucky cats, fortune cookies, scarves, squishies, T-shirts. Absolutely anything! It is the best place to buy souvenirs in San Francisco (e.g., four t-shirts for $12).
There are loads of tea shops, restaurants, bakeries and even markets to buy authentic Chinese herbs and medicines. Here you can see something new every day. The Dim Sum tea houses are a major tourist attraction and are great for a drink and a light lunch.
Where is Chinatown?
If you visit from a cruise ship you can either walk from the cruise terminal or take a trolley bus to Broadway and Columbus and then walk down Grant Avenue to see the Dragon Gate at Bush Street.
Over this short walk you will see loads of colour, culture and shopping. Stroll along unhurriedly and have some tea or a light lunch. Then check out the Sun Yat-Sen memorial in St Mary’s Square, the Cable Car Museum, the Tin How Temple (the oldest Taoist temple in San Francisco) or the Fortune Cookie Factory in Ross Alley. Ross Alley is often used as a movie backdrop. Also, for traditional Chinese pagoda architecture, the Sing Hong and Sing Fat buildings are along Grant Avenue. All the major tourist buses have stops at Chinatown allowing an unhurried visit.
Festivals
Chinatown has its own customs, languages, places of worship, social clubs, and identity. It has the best Chinese New Year parades if you are lucky enough to visit during festival time. The San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade has been going since the 1950’s. The parade includes art shows, street dances, martial arts, music, and a fashion show. Since 1994 the parade has also been joined by Gay Pride for a fully integrated community festival. Chinatown’s annual Autumn Moon Festival celebrates seasonal change and the harvest. The festival is held each year during mid-September, has loads of bazaars and entertainment, and is free to visit. You can also try the mooncakes, which are a pastry filled with sweet bean paste and egg.
Chill Out
A major focal point is Portsmouth Square. Being one of the few open spaces in Chinatown it bustles with activity such as T’ai Chi, men playing Chinese chess and families having picnics. Here there are also toilets (in case you have overindulged in tea).
The square is known for the replica of the Goddess of Democracy used in the Tienanmen Square protest. This statue was built in 1999 by Thomas Marsh, is made of bronze, and weighs approximately 600 lb (270 kg).
Being Blonde with Blue Eyes
Toby kept having his hair ruffled by Chinese gentlemen, of the older generation. They ruffled his hair, smiled at him, then moved on. It happened three times in total, to our amusement! Though poor Toby was rather confused by it all. The following morning we mentioned it to another guest in our hotel, and she told us that the blonde hair and blue eyes combo is considered both beautiful and lucky!
