The pedestrian bridge over Kearny Street from Portsmouth Square leads to an arts center. The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCC) is on the third floor of 750 Kearny St., in the hotel building across from the square.
How it started
According to Wikipedia, when the city put the former Hall of Justice site up for sale, founder J.K. Choy negotiated with the developer for a 20,000-square-foot space set aside for community cultural use. The Chinese Culture Foundation was incorporated on Oct. 15, 1965. Wikipedia says the planned Portsmouth Square footbridge was also changed to serve the center. The hotel opened in January 1971 and the bridge that August, and work on the center itself began in January 1973.
The CCC ties its 1965 founding to the civil rights era, noting that the U.S. lifted its restrictive quotas on Asian immigration that same year.
What it does now
Wikipedia describes facilities that include a 299-seat auditorium and a gallery of about 2,935 square feet. Early on, the center taught classes in language, martial arts, calligraphy and shadow play, and it began docent-led Chinatown tours in 1974. Since around 2008, it has focused on contemporary art. Wikipedia also notes that the CCC opened 41 Ross, a pop-up gallery in Ross Alley, in 2013, and that the footbridge was dedicated as the Rolland Lowe Bridge in 2016.
The CCC says its current work includes exhibitions, education through the Him Mark Lai Learning Center, and festivals including the Hungry Ghost Festival and Chinatown Pride. It also runs tours and public art meant to make Chinatown a "museum without walls."
Visiting
Check cccsf.us for current exhibits, hours and tour bookings. Portsmouth Square itself is closed for renovation until 2028.