Chinatown: Look Up

📍SF CHINATOWN / 40 MIN

When a disaster destroys Chinatown in 1906, San Francisco elites see an opportunity to erase a hated neighborhood for good. But its residents have other ideas.

This is the story of how one Chinese American businessman helped reinvent the idea of “Chinatown” to save his community.

  • To get started, download the CalMigration App and this tour, grab your headphones, and meet us in SF Chinatown. This tour starts opposite the Old Chinese Telephone Exchange at 754 Washington Street.

  • Not local to San Francisco? Explore our interactive 360 video to experience this tour from anywhere in the world.

  • For the best experience, fully charge your phone or tablet, bring headphones, and download the tour on wifi in advance.

    Augmented reality scenes appear throughout the tour. When prompted by the narrator, activate the scene by selecting the [Start AR] button on your screen.

    RESTROOMS

    • Restrooms are available at Portsmouth Square (near the beginning of the tour) and St. Mary’s Square (at the end point).

    TIMING & ACCESS

    • This audio portion of this tour lasts about 45 minutes. The distance traveled is approximately 0.3 miles, and is mostly flat (total elevation change 10ft). There are no steps up or down to enter landmarks.

    • The Chinatown tour exhibits are all accessible in-person from 11am-4pm, though the tour can be enjoyed at any time.

    • Consider allowing an additional 30 minutes to an hour to explore suggested stops, shops and landmarks along the way.

    • Audio transcripts and a virtual 360 video of this tour with closed captions are available here >

    • This tour was created in February 2023. While we make an effort to keep things current, you are walking through a living neighborhood and sometimes things change. Be curious, and embrace the unexpected.

  • Learn more about the history of Chinese Exclusion and anti-Asian hate in San Francisco through our learning guide and lesson plans.

360° of Chinatown

Click & drag around the video to explore our immersive tour of SF Chinatown after the 1906 earthquake and fires.

Get the App

Download the CalMigration app, select your tour and get started.

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