San Francisco Chinatown

Established in the 1850s, San Francisco’s Chinatown is one of the oldest, largest, and most historic Chinatowns outside of Asia.  It is perceived to be the largest of its kind in the whole North America.  The Chinatown area has been the port of entry for the early Chinese immigrants, mostly coming from the southern Guangdong province of China from the 1850s to the early 1900s.  Most of these immigrants came as laborers to build California’s growing railway network, most famous of which is the Transcontinental Railroad, or as mine workers or independent prospectors hoping to find their fortunes in gold during the 1849 gold rush.  With the massive influx of Chinese immigrants and the subsequent employment problem in the city, San Francisco has to adopt a stringent measure to check the growing Chinese populace.  Chinatown went through its most difficult time when the whole neighborhood was completely destroyed by the 1906 earthquake that leveled most of the city.  They have encountered several problems confronting different issues, most prevalent of which are moves to relocate the Chinese community further north.  But with the assistance of several key figures and the perceived advantages of not having the Chinatown relocated, it was rebuilt in the area on which it still stands to this day.

San Francisco Chinatown Information

Chinatown is located in downtown San Francisco, bordered by Powell Street and the Nob Hill District in the west; Kearny Street and the Financial Distict to the east; North Beach, Green Street, and Columbus Street in the north; and Bush Street and the Union Square in the south.  It is served by two major thoroughfares, the bustling Grant Avenue and the less frequented Stockton Street.  It has smaller side streets and alleyways that provide an authentic Chinese character.  Along Grant Avenue, tourists will find the Dragon Gate; Saint Mary’s Park, with a statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen; a Chinese War Veterans Memorial; and a plethora of stores, restaurants, mini-malls, and souvenir shops mostly for tourists.  Stockton Street, on the other hand, presents an environment reminiscent to that of Hong Kong, with produce and fish markets, stores, and restaurants that mostly caters to the residents of the area.  Portsmouth Square is another major focal point within Chinatown.  It is one of the few open spaces that can be found in the entire area.  It is bustling with activities like Tai Chi and other recreational means for its elderly residents.  The square is also the site of a replica of the Goddess of Democracy used in the Tiananmen Square protest in China.  This 600lb bronze statue was built by Thomas Marsh in 1999.

Although newer Chinese communities are cropping up in the Richmond and Sunset Districts of San Francisco, as well as in different parts of the Bay Area, Chinatown managed to maintain its lively, active character and remains a major tourist attraction.  It draws more visitors than the Golden Gate Bridge and has served as a backdrop to numerous movie and TV shows.  Other media such as music, photography, and literature has also constantly featured Chinatown, making it a semi-permanent fixture in the San Francisco popular culture.