#Findingasia
#FINDINGASIA: SAN FRANCISCO’S CHINATOWN
Much like nearby Japantown, San Francisco’s Chinatown is also the largest in the US and the oldest. Dating back to 1848, this enclave is still a fully functioning society that’s become stronger than ever, spanning a whopping 24 square blocks across the city. Because of this, it’s one of San Francisco’s top tourist attractions and sees even more visitors than the famous Golden Gate Bridge– crazy, right?
As you begin to near the city’s Chinatown, you’ll start to see pagoda-topped buildings peeking out amidst the other skyscrapers.
At Grant Street and Bush Avenue you’ll be greeted by the Dragon Gate, the only authentic Chinatown gate in the country. This iconic symbol of the city is built using traditional Chinese methods involving stone pillars and green-tiled roofs– unlike other Chinatown gates across the country, which are simply made from wood.
As the gate ushers visitors in, you’ll find the main stretch of tourist activities happen to be centered along Grant Street.
Walking along Grant you’ll find plenty of kitschy shops selling cheap cheongsam (旗袍 kei po; Chinese dress) and plastic buddhas. Amongst them there’ll be dim sum joints mixed in and the occasional authentic shop or two, but really, this street is made for tourists.
Sure, if you got at the right time of year (read: during any Chinese festival time) the street will be decorated nicely with papercraft and lanterns, but other than that this street lacks any sort of authentic atmosphere.
The real magic happens when you go a block or two in either direction from Grant Street. Don’t worry about getting lost, just wander. Remember, at 24 blocks in size you’ve got a lot of room to explore!
It’s here that you’ll find the real Chinatown– multi-story homes filled with Chinese families, Buddhist temples, and herbal shops selling only the strangest of cures for your ailment.
Want some real fun? Just walk along Stockton Street on any given Saturday to experience the live wet markets that pop up. Packed with cages of live chicken, turtles, and frogs coupled with women yelling angrily over choi (菜; vegetables), it’s just like being back in China.
When you get hungry, and trust me you will get hungry, try popping into one of the many restaurants around. Whether you want the comfort food of a cha chaan teng or something light like dim sum, you know it’s going to be good no matter where you go.
Just remember to use your manners, this is basically China after all.
One of the things I enjoyed most was just wandering around, taking in the atmosphere.
Go without a plan. Wander, pop in a few random shops, get lost. Soak it in. Chinatowns are always a great place to get lost in your senses.
I loved seeing all the old men gambling in the park, the little old ladies holding screaming matches over mahjong and all of the street art. Oh, the street art.
While I knew I’d be exploring all of the awesome street art further south in the Mission, I didn’t expect to see cool street art in Chinatown, but I was happily surprised.
And maybe that’s what I love most above all– with Chinatowns, there’s always a surprise.
When to visit: Daily
Where to visit: Centered around Grant Avenue and Stockton Street
How to visit: Take the Powell-Hyde or the Powell-Mason cable car line to near Washington & Mason or Powell & California. From there it’s just a few blocks walk to Chinatown.