Chinatown

Chinatown is a Chinese neighborhood in northeastern San Francisco, stretching between Telegraph Hill and Nob Hill. The main streets run through narrow blocks with multistory buildings whose facades display colorful lanterns and tile roofs in Chinese style.

Chinese immigrants founded this settlement in the mid-19th century when they arrived in California for the Gold Rush and later for railroad construction. After the 1906 earthquake, the neighborhood was rebuilt with buildings in Chinese style to preserve its character and attract visitors.

Street vendors and grocery stores show how the local community maintains its Cantonese roots in daily life. Many residents speak primarily Cantonese or Mandarin, while signs in the alleyways appear in both Chinese characters and English translations side by side.

Visitors can explore the area on foot, starting at the Dragon Gate on Bush Street, and then wandering through the narrow alleys and small squares. Shops and restaurants typically open late morning and remain open until evening, while the streets are busiest during the day.

The Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Alley makes fortune cookies by hand, and visitors can watch through a small window as workers bend the cookies and insert paper strips. The factory still uses the same machines as decades ago and offers fresh cookies for tasting.