San Francisco’s Chinatown is one of North America's oldest and largest Chinatowns. Established in the 1850s due to a large boom in Chinese immigration to the United States, it has been widely featured in popular culture that includes film, music, photography, and literature. The Chinatown has served as a backdrop for several movies and television shows.
Chinatown is located in downtown San Francisco. The approximate borders of the area are Powell Street and the Nob Hill District on the west; Kearny Street and The Financial District on the east; North Beach, Green Street, and Columbus Street on the north; Bush Street and the Union Square area on the south. In recent years, other Chinatown areas have been established within the city of San Francisco proper, including the Richmond and Sunset districts. There are also many suburban Chinese communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially in Silicon Valley, such as Cupertino, Fremont, and Milpitas.
Grant Avenue is a major thoroughfare within Chinatown. The famous Dragon Gate on the corner of Grant Avenue and Bush Street was a gift of the government of the Republic of China. Also on Grant Avenue is St. Mary's Park that boasts a statue of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, a war memorial to Chinese war veterans. Visitors to Grant Street will also find many stores, restaurants and mini-malls that cater mainly to tourists. The more authentic Stockton Street is less-seen by tourists and represents an authentic Chinese look and feel, reminiscent of Hong Kong, with its produce and fish markets, stores, and restaurants. This area boasts smaller side streets and alleyways that also provide an authentic character.
Portsmouth Square is one of the few open spaces in Chinatown and bustles with activity such as Tai Chi and old men playing Chinese chess. The area was named for the U.S.S. Portsmouth, commanded by Captain John B. Montgomery. It was here on the plaza that Captain Montgomery first raised the American flag near the Mexican adobe custom house on July 9, 1846. St. Mary's Church is located on Grant at California. The structures granite foundations came from China. Eastern Bakery is the United States' oldest Chinese bakery. Located at 720 Grant Avenue and opened in 1924, the bakery features moon cakes. Chinatown Kite Shop located on 707 Grant Avenue. A family-owned and operated business that has been in the same San Francisco location since 1969. They have the largest selection of kites, parafoils, windwheels as well as a great selection of souvenirs, Feng Shui items and many more kites.
Tien Hou Temple is located on the top floor of 125 Waverly Place. Originally founded in 1852 on a different site, the temple is dedicated to Tien How, the Buddhist Queen of Heaven. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory located at 56 Ross Alley. This factory has been supplying fortune cookies to Chinatown and around the world since 1962. Within a few steps of the entrance you can see fortune cookies being made right in front of you. Sam Bo Trading Company located at 50 Ross Alley sells Buddhist and Taoist religious items, Buddha statues, incense and paper goods burned in tribute to ancestors and the gods. Chinese Funerals are one of San Francisco's most multi-cultural events. Chinese funeral processions start at Green Street Mortuary. A brass band playing traditional Christian music precedes an open convertible bearing a large photograph of the deceased, followed by the hearse and other vehicles. North Beach Museum is located at 1435 Stockton. This free-of-charge museum features several rooms of pictures and artifacts telling the story of this neighborhood's Italian culture and history. They also have Chinese items and photographs, including a pair of shoes worn by a woman with bound feet.
There are three annual festivals that honor the city's Chinese heritage: The Chinese New Year, Autumn Moon Festival, and The Dragon Boat Festival. The Chinese New Year festival usually takes place between late January and early February. Besides the famous parade, there is also a large street fair. The Autumn Moon Festival marks a significant holiday on the Chinese (lunar) calendar. This holiday is a time to reflect upon the bounty of the summer harvest, the fullness of the moon, and the myth of the immortal moon Goddess, Chang O, who lives in the moon. The Moon Festival is often compared to a sort of "Chinese Thanksgiving" because of its spirit of gratitude and its inclusion of abundant food.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a a two-millenium-old tradition. The organized sport includes teams of paddlers that compete in colorfully-decorated, dragon-themed boats in races held to honor Qu Yuan, a scholar and advisor to the emperor of the Chu Kingdom who jumped into the Mei Lo (Mi Luo) River in protest against government corruption. Over 100 dragon boat teams compete.
