The oldest and largest district of its kind in North America is a tightly woven jumble of hole-in-the-wall hotspots, aromatic eateries, and pagoda-topped gateways.
Garlands of lanterns and colorful flags herald the main thoroughfares of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Buzzing with round-the-clock energy, Chinatown is one of the city’s oldest and most densely populated districts, witnessing more than 160 years of the city’s turbulent history. Navigate your way around Chinatown’s spirited streets using all five senses to fully experience the district’s museums, markets, temples, shops, and eateries.
There are no hazy borderlines around Chinatown – when you’re there, you’ll know for sure. The landmark Chinatown Gate introduces the neighborhood with a grand ceremonial-style pagoda decorated with hissing dragons and stone-carved Fu dogs. Much of San Francisco was rebuilt from the rubble of the 1906 earthquake and the original Chinatown was no exception. The district grew up and out, leaving behind its murky 19th-century history of gang wars, plague quarantines, and opium dens.
Take a walk town Chinatown’s main thoroughfare and you’ll begin to see order within the chaos. On Stockton Street, you can watch street vendors weighing up fresh produce and butchers displaying a staggering array of fresh and prepared meats. See narrow alleys illuminated by signs flashing Chinese characters and specialty stores stacked with colorful and kitschy curios. Hook a turn off the beaten path and find yourself in a captivating maze. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find temples, galleries and museums.
We hope you’re hungry – when it comes to food, Chinatown is next to none. Stack up bamboo steamers filled with glistening dumplings at a dim sum joint or try bubbling soup broths and fragrant teas. Follow your nose down Ross Street to find the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, where you can see the bakery’s cookie masters at work. Watch as the bakers expertly flip and fold the cookies, slipping fortunes into the sweet dough. Purchase a bag to see what the future holds. Here’s a hint: it’s going to be sweet.