Take a walk around Chinatown, experience the sights, smells and sounds of one of our city’s most important and certainly most interesting neighborhoods. Be sure to check out Portsmouth square. This is the “living room” of the community where residents come to play, socialize and build the strong relationships that tie them to each other and the rest of San Francisco. I enjoy many free things to do in San Francisco, but Chinatown is definitely one of my favorite.
Experience Chinatown
I love the colors – red and gold everywhere. The din of sound coming from a community shopping and chatting with neighbors and the distinct notes of an erhu (a one string violin) playing down the street. The unbelievable bargains to be had for a variety of things from tourist souvenirs (I still buy them when I go, I can’t help myself) to Chinese grocers carrying all sorts of curious ingredients you won’t see in commercial chain stores. The sights
and smells of these grocers will transport you to another world. You will be immersed into one of the best parts of San Francisco, its Chinese heritage.
Visiting Chinatown
I’ve spent hours walking around Chinatown submerging myself in this uniquely distinct community. City Guides has a few tours of Chinatown that shed light on the storied past of this community. They cover the events that brought Chinese people to San Francisco, how this community engages with the rest of the city and the rise of many successful entrepreneurs, professionals, and politicians that are important to the fabric, history, and future this city. You can visit City Guides’ calendar here.
Take a walk around Chinatown and experience the sights, smells and sounds of one of our city’s most valuable communities.
To learn about more free things to do in San Francisco, see the Free By District area of this website.