Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
atown Deco' architecture beyond this gate was innovated by forward-thinking Chinatown
businessmen led by Look Tin Ely in the 1920s. Dragon lanterns chased away the shady
ladies, and now light the way to bargain souvenirs and tea shops.
(intersection of Grant Ave &
Bush St;
1, 8X, 30, 45,
California St)
Understand
Chinatown Alleyways
Forty-one historic alleyways packed into Chinatown's 22 blocks have seen it all since 1849: Gold Rushes and
revolution, incense and opium, fire and icy receptions. Though Chinese miners were among the first to arrive in
San Francisco's Gold Rush, 1870s anti-Asian laws restricted Chinese immigration, employment and housing.
Anyone of Chinese origin was denied property ownership and union jobs, and many resorted to dangerous work
blasting transcontinental railway tunnels. Crime flourished; Chinatown's white landlords profited handsomely
from basement opium dens along Duncombe Alley, and brothels lining Ross Alley.
When the 1906 earthquake and fire devastated Chinatown, developers convinced the city to oust Chinese res-
idents altogether. But with the support of China's consulate and gun-toting merchants, Chinatown refugees de-
fied the expulsion order and returned to rebuild their community. Family associations ousted opium and flesh
trades, and 1920s merchants gave the neighborhood a tourist-friendly 'Chinatown Deco' makeover. Today you
can hear the clatter of mahjong tiles at 36 Spofford Alley, where Sun Yat-sen once plotted revolution.
