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Chinatown – |
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 Chinatown
Gate (Dragon Crested Gate) – Start exploring with your kids at
the Chinatown Gate (Grant Ave. at Bush St.). The green tiled gate is topped
with two dragons and fish, symbols of strength, goodness, and prosperity.
The gate is flanked by two mythical Chinese lions (called "foo dogs")
to scare away evil. |
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Grant
Ave. – Grant Ave., the oldest street in San Francisco, is chock
full of shops and restaurants. This is a great place for kids to spend their
money. Stop into Chinatown Kite Shop (717 Grant Ave.) to buy a Chinese dragon
kite.. (Later, head down to Marina Green or Crissy Field to fly your kite)
Other shops have jade jewelry, Chinese embroidered clothes, "singing
cricket" toys, zodiac animals. For fun, get a T-shirt with your child's
name in Chinese characters. |
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Portsmouth
Square – Portsmouth Square is more than just a wonderful playground with swings and slides for kids. Captain Montgomery raised American flag
at Portsmouth Square on July 9, 1846 claiming "Yerba Buena" (San
Francisco) for the United States. Portsmouth Square was also the site of
California's first public school, established in 1848. Don't miss the gilded
sailing ship monument to Robert Louis Stevenson, who lived and was
married in San Francisco, a few years before he wrote Treasure Island. |
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Chinese
Cultural Center – In the lobby of the Chinese Cultural Center,
they have a small display of Chinese puppets, musical instruments, changing
exhibitions and an excellent art gallery and bookshop. |
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Tin
How Temple (125 Waverly Place) – This is one of the oldest Chinese
temples in America, originally built in 1852. From street level, after you've
climbed up a bunch of stairs, you'll find yourself in the small temple,
beautifully ornamented with gilded altars and a forest of red paper lanterns
suspended from the ceiling, inscribed with ancestor's names. At the far
end of the temple is an altar with a statue of Tin Hou, the Queen of Heaven
and Goddess of the Sea, wearing an elaborate headdress, flanked by two fierce
guardian figures. |
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Fortune
Cookie Factory – Fortune cookies were invented in the U.S. San
Francisco and Los Angeles both take credit for this popular dessert. In
Chinatown, you can see how fortune cookies are made. Stop into the Mee Mee
Bakery (1328 Stockton) or Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory (56 Ross Alley).
The smell of fresh baked cookies is delicious – buy a large bag, and
start munching. Note: The fortunes in the cookies from the Golden Gate Fortune
Cookie Factory are somewhat risqué for kids. |
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Woh
Hei Huen Park (on Powell, between Jackson and Pacific) – This charming
garden of "peace and joy" (who hei huen in Chinese) is a spot
to kick back and relax with the kids. It has a traditional-style garden
with bamboo, picnic tables and benches, and play structure. |
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North Beach – |
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Columbus
Ave. – Columbus Ave. is the heart of North Beach, the Italian
section of San Francisco. From 1850, immigrants from Genoa, Tuscany and
Sicily packed North Beach with wonderful restaurants, cafes and pastry shops.
Today, North Beach is still chock a block with fun places to eat – any of time of day, you can sit down at a table on the sidewalk for pasta
or panini, a pizza or gelato (ice cream). |
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Washington
Square – Washington Square is a lovely oasis, a big chunk
of green grass, ringed by large trees that are home to wild parrots (the parrots are hard to see in the trees, but you can hear them squawking.)
A park since 1862, there's a really great play structure, swings
and slides for little kids, and a statue of Ben Franklin in the center.
Across from the park, duck into Saint Peter and Paul Church – the Italian altarpiece is awesome. |
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Coit
Tower – No visit to San Francisco is complete without a trip to
Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill. (Telegraph Hill, so named because a semaphore
on the hill signaled the arrival of ships with mail and supplies.) Coit
Tower was built in the 1930's – the lobby is decorated with frescoes
of California daily life during the Depression. From the top of Coit Tower,
you can see the pyramid-shaped Transamerica building, San Francisco Bay,
downtown and Fisherman's Wharf. If the kids need a little exercise, walk
up Telegraph Hill from North Beach. |
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A cultural tour
of San Francisco's Chinatown. This is a wonderful background for
what you'll see – herb shops with unique aromas, stationery
stores and calligraphy, the Tin How temple, art galleries with brush
paintings, New Year's parades, festivals and dragon lore. (Picture
book)
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Engaging photo
story of a San Francisco family as they celebrate Chinese New Year
– sweep away the bad luck, buy flowers (symbols of rebirth),
put oranges on the family altar, cook special dishes and enjoy a
New Year's feast. (Picture book)
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Charming
"lift the flap" book about Chinese New Year, with irresistible
illustrations. Great for little kids. (Picture book)
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Mystery-adventure
of Lily Lew and her Auntie Tiger Lil as they fight to save
the New Year's parade and recover the stolen antique pearls. Atmospheric
scenes in San Francisco Chinatown. (Chapter book)
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Based on a true story, a young boy and his father come to San Francisco, leaving the rest of his family in China. At Angel Island, the boy must prove his ancestry, or be sent back to China. A super story of the immigrant experience. (Chapter book)
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Kite
flying is a favorite Chinese pastime, and an activity for the
whole family. Ma-Ma, Ba-Ba and the children use sticks, glue,
paper and paint to create a beautiful dragon kite. "Look
up! Our dragon is talking to the wind." (Picture book)
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"You
long to travel the world." In Chinese restaurants, reading
your fortune cookie is always part of the fun, and in this book,
fortune cookie fortunes do come true. (Picture book)
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Toddlers
can get their fingers all over this fun board book –
rhyming descriptions and colorful collages. "Sesame balls
really don't bounce ..." (Board book)
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(More children's
books on other San Francisco pages) |
