All About Chinatown Tours

04/10/2026

I had lunch this week with author Joy Ma who wrote a book called The Deoliwallahs, the untold account of the internment of 3,000 Chinese-Indians after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The book documents how the Chinese came to be in India, and became a significant community until the war of 1962 brought on a terrible incarceration, displacement and tragedy.

04/04/2026

If you grew up in Chinatown, you might be wistful about the changes to the Empress of China building.So many of us attended weddings, birthday parties, red egg & ginger celebrations, and cultural and political events on the 5th floor banquet floor and dined at the elegant restaurant on the 6th floor.
I also had an office on the 4th floor with a great view of Portsmouth Square. It will be exciting to welcome the creation of a cultural hub for Chinatown.

https://eedition.sfchronicle.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=58c67dc2-3c4c-4730-81ef-b43ade3956eb&share=true

Group buys Empress building for museum

03/21/2026

This article talks about the second generation taking over family businesses. This is not so unique - almost everyone I know who grew up in Chinatown in the 1950’s ended up working in their family’s businesses, bringing innovation with preservation:

Selling tradition, not just products

02/25/2026

Guide Alan Fong gave a tour to high schoolers from Marin Academy in San Rafael yesterday, and here's what their teacher Sanjai said about their visit:

"Everything was amazing. Thank you so much. The weather was incredible and I was so impressed with how Chinatown is doing. So many new stores since I was there last. I love the new community center/art gallery."

02/16/2026

Need more food recs? MacKenzie Chung Fegan and Cesar Hernandez, food critics from the S.F. Chronicle, offer their latest updates on Top Chinese Restaurants in the Bay Area, dated Feb. 13, 2026:

The best Chinese restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, available for takeout, delivery or outdoor dining and as recommended by critic Soleil Ho.

02/16/2026

Curious about the best bbq pork buns in San Francisco's Chinatown? See the current list from the staff at the S.F. Chronicle:

The Chronicle tasted baked char siu bao from six bakeries and to-go dim sum spots. Our favorite might surprise you.

02/15/2026

The Chinese New Year Parade will take place on March 7, 2026, but the parade has been around since 1953. Here's an article of how it started:

How Chinese New Year Parade evolved

01/15/2026

Another great tour given by Alan Fong on 1/14/26 with the 3rd grade class from Head Royce in Oakland.

01/02/2026

It's getting harder to dive for abalone:
https://eedition.sfchronicle.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=f93f2317-9905-4abc-b112-fc40aea128f0&share=true

But at Chung Chou City Inc at 1230 Stockton St., San Francisco you can buy abalone for $400-$900 a pound.

12/19/2025

Do you know where China Banks is, or what it is?

It's ugly and useless to pedestrians, but its history runs deep.

10/31/2025

This week, Alan Fong conducted a tour to rave reviews from Gate Academy's 6th graders from San Rafael, and on the same day, ran into Josh Chuck, producer of the documentary film Chinatown Rising.

10/29/2025

Calling all Cantonese speakers!
Help save this ancient language.

As Mandarin becomes increasingly favored both in China and the Bay Area, Cantonese defenders are grappling with threats to the language.