CHINATOWN SAN FRANCISCO

Description

Essentials about Chinatown San Francisco in brief

A visit to Chinatown should be part of any trip to San Francisco, because in the Chinese city within the city you really feel transported directly to China. Chinatown in San Francisco is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese enclave outside of Asia. If you want to eat really good Chinese food or buy Chinese products, you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for in the 24-block district.

The location of Chinatown San Francisco

Chinatown is very centrally located. It is located between the Financial District to the east, the Telegraph Hill neighborhood to the north, and Nob Hill to the south. The boundaries of Chinatown are marked by Kearny Street to the east, Bush Street to the south, Powell Street to the west and Broadway to the north.

Culture and importance of Chinatown San Francisco

Since its founding in 1848, Chinatown in San Francisco has been of utmost importance to the development of Chinese culture in North America. In Chinatown, ancient Chinese traditions are maintained, Mandarin or Cantonese is spoken, there are two hospitals, a multitude of temples, clubs and societies and, of course, an almost endless number of stores and restaurants. Chinatown is also so popular with tourists that it is visited by more people each year than even the Golden Gate Bridge.

The history of Chinatown San Francisco

Historically, Chinatown dates back to the Chinese immigration wave in the second half of the 19th century. At that time, the U.S. was in need of masses of cheap labor, especially for railroad construction and mines in California and the western states. Many of the immigrant Chinese settled in San Francisco. In the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Chinatown was completely destroyed. The city government’s plans to rebuild Chinatown further south failed due to the resistance of the resident population.