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Chinese Deity, Portsmouth Square
One of the most historic spots in the San Francisco is Portsmouth Square. In 1839, during the war with Mexico, the USS Portsmouth sailed into the bay, raised a flag, and declared California as U.S. territory. The outnumbered Mexican forces surrendered peacefully. By the Gold Rush days the square was the home to hundreds of gambling dens and the site of many public lynchings. Robert Louis Stevenson described the wild square in his novel, 'The Wreckers'. Today Portsmouth Square stands adjacent to Chinatown and is usually filled with people playing mah jong and practicing t'ai chi.
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