You don't have to read the books - we will discuss resources, history, and strategies on Chinatown tours.
This free presentation is offered as part of the Education and Training mission of the San Francisco Tour Guide Guild. One volunteer is requested to do a short report on the event that will be included in an upcoming "Guidepost" issue. You can volunteer do so as part of the registration process. By doing that summary report, the volunteer is guaranteed to get maximum education value from this event.
Perhaps the most visited walking tour destination in the City, San Francisco Chinatown's history, demographics and other elements will likely be mentioned no matter what type of tour is being conducted.
Marvin Chiu who took us on a walking tour in Chinatown will be contributing special tips and insights in the dialog.
This session is intended for guides to share resources and interesting experiences that they have experienced in or about Chinatown.
Several questions or topics to explore are:
How did the Chinese experience at the "Ellis Island of the West" compare with the European experience in New York Harbor?
Were there really tunnels underneath the buildings in Chinatown?
What precipitated the creation of the Chinese hospital in Chinatown?
Chinese Hospital Video
How much information on the Chinese Exclusion Act do you share on your tours?
What tips or dining recommendations do you make for your Chinatown tours.
What is the proper etiquette in visiting temples in Chinatown?
What advice do you give your guests if they want to see of buy unique items, food, herbs, acupuncture?
What buildings, stories would you like to hear more about?
Some books of interest:
From Canton to California, The Epic of Chinese Immigration, Corine K. Hoexter, Four Winds Press, 1976
Chinatown section, Historic Walks in San Francisco, Rand Richards, Heritage House 2001
The Chinese In San Francisco, A Pictorial History, Laverne Mau Dicker, Dover Publications
The Barbary Plague, The Black Death in Victorian San Francisco, Marilyn Chase, Random House 2004
There is a limit of 25 attendees to this event. A waitlist will be enabled. Stay off it by
registering now!