Back Alleys, Secrets and Stories of Chinatown

Member Events
Photo by AURELIEN CHATEAUDON on Unsplash

Back Alleys, Secrets and Stories of Chinatown

Instructor: 
David Lei
When: 
September 11, 2025
Time: 
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Place: 
Portsmouth Square Park, Plaza Level, 745 Kearny St., San Francisco
Fee: 
$20 per person Society members only. Limited to 20 participants.


Society for Asian Art and Asian Art Museum are separate non-profit organizations with separate memberships. Please use the appropriate registration buttons to register for Society programs.

Step back in time with David Lei, who will share more stories and unknown lore of Chinatown. We will meander through this densely populated and bustling neighborhood on foot, and stop at various intriguing and lesser-known locations.


This is David's third tour of Chinatown for the Society. He knows all the stories, history and culture of this intriguing place. He is a leader in San Francisco’s Chinese American community as well as a longtime supporter of the Asian Art Museum and the Society for Asian Art. He has helped exhibitions and develop documentaries relating to the Chinese American community of San Francisco.

A no-host lunch will follow the tour. Details will be sent to registered participants. 


Registration Policies

The Society for Asian Art's cancellation policy requires at least one week's advance written notice in order to receive a refund of registration fees. This excludes our Travel programs, which have separate cancellation policies, as well as any programs where a specific refund policy is stated on the event page. Your fees will be returned to you through a check in the mail. To cancel, please contact us.

For programs located within the Asian Art Museum, the museum entrance fee must be paid separately and is not included with your registration fee.

Please note that by registering for a program, you are giving consent to the SAA to be photographed or videoed as a participant.