San Francisco Chinatown
San Francisco Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside of Asia. It is also one of the most densely populated areas in San Francisco. Since its establishment in the 1840s, Chinatown has played a significant role in the history and culture of Chinese immigrant communities in the United States and across North America. Beyond serving as a landing spot and home for thousands of Chinese immigrants, it is also a major tourist attraction, drawing more visitors annually than the Golden Gate Bridge with its shops, restaurants, and landmarks.
Traditionally, Chinatown was defined by North Beach and Telegraph Hill and bounded by Bush Street, Taylor Street, Bay Street, and the San Francisco Bay. Located near the city’s Financial District and Little Italy, Chinatown spans 1 mile in length and 1.34 miles in width. Its current boundaries are approximately east to Montgomery Street and Columbus Avenue, north to Union Street and North Beach, and southeast to Bush Street and Union Square.
There are two main streets in Chinatown: Grant Avenue (formerly Dupont Street) and Stockton Street. Grant Avenue is home to the Dragon Gate at its Bush Street entrance, as well as landmarks like the Sun Yat-sen statue in St. Mary’s Square and the Veterans War Memorial Building. It features shops, restaurants, and small malls, mainly catering to tourists. Stockton Street, on the other hand, serves as a more practical hub for local residents, with several trolleybus and bus routes operating along the street. The Chinatown-Rose Pak Station, located underground on Stockton Street, opened in late 2022 as the main rail station serving San Francisco Chinatown, marking the northern terminus of the T Third Street line.
One of Chinatown’s key focal points is Portsmouth Square. As one of the few open spaces in Chinatown, it bustles with activities such as tai chi and Chinese chess, and it serves as the venue for the annual Chinatown Night Market during summer.
The primary languages spoken in Chinatown are Cantonese and Taishanese, which are dialects from southern China. Most residents trace their ancestry to Guangdong Province and Hong Kong. While there are also immigrants from Taiwan and central or northern China, their numbers are relatively small compared to the Cantonese-speaking community.
