SAN FRANCISCO'S CHINATOWN

A guided tour through the oldest Chinatown district in North America.

Journalist Leong teams up with San Francisco–based photographer Evans in this energetic production spotlighting San Francisco’s Chinatown, a beloved tourist destination attracting more foot traffic than the Golden Gate Bridge. Leong sets the stage: “For the uninitiated, strains of high-pitched music, odd smells, and the myriad of Asian dialects can be overwhelming. For others, the cacophony is thrilling. There’s no doubt that entering San Francisco’s Chinatown is like visiting a foreign country, except that this one is less than a fifth of a square mile.” In three sections, the book covers the tourism industry, the daily life of the Chinese locals, and the spectacular celebrations and cultural festivals in observance of time-honored holidays throughout the year. Leong, an American-born Chinese woman and San Francisco native, generously shares the area’s expansive history, from its beginnings as Tong Yun Fow to a cultural epicenter embracing numerous progressive changes. In the section honoring traditional celebrations, lion dancers from a Chinese New Year parade and Autumn Moon Festival performers leap off the page. Many of the images feature the neighborhood’s classically vibrant hues, including the reds of the lanterns swinging high above the streets, the burgundy cherry blossoms in Portsmouth Square, the culturally significant golden monuments and sculptures, and the expressive faces of the street musicians, vendors, and shop owners lining the narrow, busy sidewalks. The book also reflects the diverse range of ages and heritages of the residents, who have helped to foster the Chinatown experience visitors have come to appreciate. As in his previous photo books about the Bay Area, Evans ably captures the essence of the city and its inhabitants. Impressively pairing striking imagery with an informative historical narrative, the book transports readers right into the heart of Chinatown’s thriving streets, festivals, local flavor, and cultural intensity.

A vividly realized tribute to one of Northern California’s most revered cultural neighborhoods.