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Views to and from Sing Fat & Sing Chong
The Sing Fat & Sing Chong buildings are significant because they were the first two buildings built in Chinatown after the 1906 fire wiped out the entire area. Following the fire, real estate speculators pushed the city to relocate Chinatown to the far South end of the city. To fight against this forced eviction these two buildings were quickly built to re-establish the Chinatown. They were the first buildings to incorporate Chinese architectural motifs and suggest what might arise from the ashes. Located on the Van Ness & California Street cable car line, Sing Fat, 'Living Riches' and Sing Chong, 'Living Prosperity' still stand as a symbol of a Chinese community that would not be pushed aside.
[ MAP F-15 ]