A field trip to Chinatown

Yesterday we took a field trip to Chinatown in San Francisco. We are studying immigration during the Gold Rush. In 1848 there were only seven Chinese people in California. When gold was discovered early in 1849 the news spread around the world like wildfire. The Chinese, trying to escape the economic woes and famine going on in their own country, came to California by the thousands.

Uncomfortable with the appearance and culture of the Chinese, a small designated area of the booming San Francisco was set aside for them to live (in other words, to keep them separate). Chinatown was born.

After two hours in the car our first stop was Portsmouth Square. It is the central gathering place for the Chinese living in Chinatown. There were small clusters of men playing cards on pieces of cardboard as a table surface. A few clusters of women, too. And some grandmothers watching their grandchildren play while both parents work.


The original Chinatown structures were quickly thrown together with wood. It burned down with the rest of San Francisco in the earthquake and fire of 1906. When it was reconstructed it had tourism in mind, and some Chinese architectural detail was included. Only one main street is really touristy, though. The rest is a microcosm of China with people having access to all of their needs right in this small area of the city; most speak only Chinese.

Grant street, the main tourist drag

Eastern Bakery is the oldest bakery in Chinatown

We sampled a Lotus Cake...it got a thumbs down all around

The Wok store

Bank of America blends in...

We explored St. Mary's church whose foundation came from China and bricks came from around the horn with the gold seekers. (The only building in Chinatown not completely destroyed in the 1906 fire.) It was built by the Catholics to convert immigrating Chinese.

We missed seeing the two Chinese temples because they closed before we got there.

Geoff bought the girls little boxes of "poppers"

Waverly Place with its painted balconies

Ross Alley is the oldest in Chinatown

We went to a fortune cookie factory. Fortune cookies didn't originate in China. As a matter of fact they were introduced in China maybe 15 years ago as the "Authentic American Fortune Cookie". Some think the idea came from the Chinese patriots in the 14th century who asked the ruling Mongols if they could give gifts to friends and family celebrating Mongol rule. They gave moon cakes with a message giving the date of their planned revolt. If I remember correctly, they won.

In Chinese tradition moon cakes with messages inside are still given when a new baby is born. So maybe that sparked the idea. At any rate, this factory produces 30,000 fortune cookies a day, and sells them all over the country. It is the only one left that makes the cookies by hand.

We stopped in an herb shop (the Chinese pharmacy). Fascinating. I have great respect for their approach to health and healing.

Dried scorpions? Dried crickets? What will you have in your tea?

Careful measurements for this woman's ailment

We finished our day at the Hong Kong Clay Pot which was a neighborhood favorite. It was packed with locals. We passed on the frogs and duck and went with chicken and beef dishes. The girls gobbled it up and then promptly fell asleep on the ride home. A good day.


I must admit that my research on this wasn't terribly thorough so sorry if some of my facts aren't just right!