SF Chinatown & Portsmouth square

Our last morning in San Francisco.
Did we leave the best for last??

Before setting off to the airport, we are trying to get our steps in by wandering around Chinatown and surroundings.

First to know, almost all of Chinatown got destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. In fact, apart from St Mary's Cathedral, nothing else survived.

Even if Chinatown had been rebuilt after the catastrophe, the Chinatown Gate/Dragon Gate wasn't built until 1970 whereas the Sing Chong building was one of the first landmarks to built in the New Chinatown–style after the 1906 earthquake.

Portsmouth Square the centrally located park within Chinatown, and has earned the nickname "Heart of Chinatown." But what's more, the park is home to many historical markers and statues, and holds its place within California history. It is the location of the first raising of the American flag within San Francisco in 1846, and here in 1848, the discovery of gold was first announced.

Today, Portsmouth Square is a meeting place for locals who need fresh air and sunshine.

Moving just beyond Chinatown, the Transamerica Pyramid is a 48-story futurist skyscraper and the second tallest building in the San Francisco skyline.Read more