Chinatown

District San Francisco, California

Chinatown in San Francisco, California is the largest Chinese community outside of Asia and also the oldest in the United States. The district was founded in 1840, and has become particularly famous in the world of Chinese literature, cinema, music and photography. Inside Chinatown, along Grant Avenue, there are: St. Mary's Square, with a statue of Sun Yat-sen created by Beniamino Bufano; a war memorial to Chinese war veterans; shops, restaurants and mini-malls that cater predominantly to tourists.

Time your visit to coincide with Lunar New Year celebrations (usually in late January or February) to witness a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle: the Chinese New Year Festival and Parade.