Braving the cold, rainy weather, over fifty Mira Loma students recently took a day trip to San Francisco’s Chinatown. This enriching experience is an annual excursion that is offered through the Mandarin language course at Mira Loma. It is an incredibly popular and highly anticipated event that is organized by Mira Loma’s Mandarin teacher, Ms. Yang. Because of its relatively close proximity to Sacramento, the trip to San Francisco’s Chinatown provides students with an ideal opportunity to experience the culture and practice the language that they have learned in the classroom. While there, students can also learn about the location’s history and immerse themselves in the unique architecture of the district.
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest and largest Chinatown in North America. Its origins date back to the late 1840’s and 1850’s during the California Gold Rush. The news of gold and potential fortune reached China after a series of natural disasters had caused famine and unrest in several regions. Seeking economic opportunities, most of the Chinese immigrants arrived in San Francisco at the height of the Gold Rush. As the number of Chinese immigrants grew in Northern California, San Francisco became their home away from home. Today, San Francisco’s Chinatown consists of about thirty city blocks, which are densely packed with shops and restaurants. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in San Francisco.
Joining other tourists, Mira Loma students—after a two-hour bus ride—arrived in Chinatown ready to explore the bustling streets and alleys. The rain did not stop students from participating in the planned scavenger hunt that led students on a self-guided tour of landmarks and highlights of Chinatown. These stops included a historic park, museum, temple, herb shop, fortune cookie factory, tea shop, Chinese bakery, Chinese brush painting shop, and gift store. Along the way, students also ventured through many other shops and restaurants, enjoying Chinese food and snacks along the way. Many also practiced communicating in Mandarin.
One interesting learning point for some of the students was experiencing firsthand how one can bargain with Chinatown’s vendors over the cost of an item. Kira White, a junior, comments, “It’s not something you see a lot with American sellers so it’s kind of a new experience and is not a bad thing.”
For many students, the chance to taste more authentic Chinese food and snacks was the highlight of their trip. Hayden Liu, also a junior, shares that his favorite part of the trip was definitely lunch, remarking, “The food tasted pretty good and was more authentic than I expected. It was one of the most fun parts of the trip for sure.”
White adds, “My favorite part of the trip was probably window shopping and commenting on sights with friends!! There was a bunch of stuff that you wouldn’t be able to get easily elsewhere.” For those considering a visit to San Francisco’s Chinatown, she offers, “I would recommend people go!! It’s a nice place to experience a different culture; it’s very lively.”
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