Museum Tours
Museum & Garden Tour
This one hour docent-led tour provides an overview of the history of San
Diego's Chinatown, Chinese art and culture, the museum's Asian garden, and an explanation of the
current featured exhibit and permanent collection. This tour is for groups of up to 30 people.
Audience: All Ages
Time: 1 Hour
Fee: $50 per group (maximum 30 people). Discounted to $30 when a Classroom Exhibit Presentation is added to your tour.
Deluxe Museum & Garden Tour
Cap off your museum and garden tour with Chinese tea and cookies in
the serene museum garden.
Audience: All Ages
Time: 1 Hour
Fee: $80 per group (maximum 30 people). Discounted to $50 when a Classroom Exhibit Presentation is added to your tour.
San Diego Downtown Exploration NEW!
Learn how diverse groups of settlers and immigrants made downtown
what it is today in this new walking tour presented in collaboration with
the Gaslamp Historical Foundation and the Center City Development
Corporation. The walk starts at the William Heath Davis House and
highlights the historic architecture of the Gaslamp and old Chinatown.
You can even pause to eat your lunch in the museum garden before
seeing the Asian Pacific Historic District, making a brief stop at the
Balboa Theatre and ending at the Downtown Information Center in
Horton Plaza.
Audience: 6 - 9th Grade
Time: 2 Hours
Fee: $60 per group (maximum 25 people).
Walking Tour of Asian Pacific Historic District of Downtown
Every second Saturday of the month. 11AM - 12:30PM
Explore Old Chinatown and the Japanese and Filipino neighborhoods in San Diego's old Stingaree red light district with Curator Murray K. Lee or Board Member Michael Yee. The Asian Pacific Historic Collaborative is a cosponsor. For more information, please contact the museum, or visit their website at www.asianpacificdistrict.org.
Audience: All Ages
Time: 1 Hour
Fee: $2.00 per person on scheduled dates/ $60 per group on request.
Please RSVP to the museum at (619) 338-9888.
Classroom Exhibit Presentations (CEP)
* Chinese Painting and Poetry NEW!
Students will be introduced to basic concepts and common imagery
of Taoism through exposure to Taoist-inspired paintings and poetry.
Students will then put their knowledge to use by creating their own
art and poetry. An optional brush painting activity can be added
on to this CEP. For this option, materials and instruction will be
provided so that students can practice brush painting technique and
create their own brush painting.
Audience: 3rd - 7th Grade
Time: 60 - 90 Minutes
Fee: $60
Chinese New Year's Special: A Dragon's Tale
This presentation tells the tale of how the Chinese zodiac came to be. Through interactive storytelling, students take on roles of the different zodiac animals. They also uncover the mythological development of the Chinese dragon, learning that the dragon is a peaceful, benevolent creature, much revered in Chinese cultures. In celebration of the Chinese New Year, each student receives a hong bao, or red envelope, for good luck. ***This presentation is only available in January and February.
Audience: K - 6th Grade
Time: 60 Minutes
Fee: $60
* Calligraphy
This presentation explores the history and development of Chinese
characters, which were originally based on pictures. The goal of this
lesson is to demystify the Chinese written language and show that
it has a rational basis. Students will learn to recognize a collection
of Chinese characters and have their name written in calligraphy by
a museum staff teacher! An optional brush painting activity can be
added on to this CEP.
Audience: 1st - 6th Grade
Time: 60 minutes
Fee: $60
Window Flowers: The Art of Chinese Paper Cutting
This presentation familiarizes students with everyday symbols and then uses this skill to analyze symbolism in art. By learning the distinctive features of this Chinese folk art, they will learn how to distinguish Chinese art from other world art forms. Students play a matching game and use their knowledge of Chinese paper cut-outs. Lastly, they get to try their hand at making their own paper cut-outs!
Audience: 2nd - 6th Grade
Time: 60 minutes
Fee: $60
Marco Polo and the Mongol Empire
Witness Genghis Khan conquer the largest continuous empire the world has ever known. Learn the reasons behind the spread of the Mongol Empire and how it enabled Marco Polo to embark on his incredible journeys. Learn about the nomadic Mongolian lifestyle, the founding of the Yuan Dynasty and the impact of Marco Polo's travels on future exploration. Students also review Asian geography when they trace the travels of the Polos and map the greatest extent of the Mongol Empire.
Audience: 4th - 7th Grade
Time: 90 minutes
Fee: $60
The Rise and Fall of the Qin Dynasty
The building of the Great Wall, the unification of China, and the ending of centuries of war are depicted in this presentation about the First Emperor of China, Shi Huangdi. Students get to play the roles of influential characters of the Qin Dynasty and experience how society was run during Legalist rule. Mysticism is touched on as the Emperor searches for the elixir of immortality that would enable him to rule forever!
Audience: 6th grade
Time: 90 minutes
Fee: $60
The Voyages of Zheng He
Explore the world of the Ming Dynasty with the massive armada of Zheng He. Students will learn the reasons behind the rise and fall of Chinese maritime exploration; contrast the Ming tribute system with European colonialism and evaluate the positions of scholars, merchants and eunuchs in traditional Chinese society. They will also use their creativity to plan a voyage of their own!
Audience: 7th - 9th Grade
Time: 90 minutes
Fee: $60
* The Art of Chinese Writing
This presentation explores the history and development of Chinese
characters, which were originally based on pictures. The goal of this
lesson is to demystify the Chinese written language and show that
it has a rational basis. Students will learn to recognize a collection
of Chinese characters and have their name written in calligraphy by
a museum staff teacher! An optional brush painting activity can be
added on to this CEP.
Audience: 7th - 12th Grade
Time: 60 - 90 minutes
Fee: $60
Ancient Chinese Science and Technology NEW!
Discover how ancient Chinese technology changed the world. With
groundbreaking inventions such as paper, gunpowder, the compass,
and seismograph, China was once the global leader in technological
innovation. In this lesson, students will examine the scientific
principles behind a few Chinese inventions and learn how their
spread revolutionized the ancient world. Participants will make their
own woodblock prints to see how ancient Chinese printing greatly
accelerated the spread of information.
Audience: 8th - 12th Grade
Time: 60 - 90 minutes
Fee: $60
The Culture and History of China in Broad Strokes
Trace the history of one of the oldest and most influential civilizations on earth. Observe the impact of the three great teachings of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism. Watch the development of traditional arts as dynasties rise and fall in accord with the Mandate of Heaven. This primer in Chinese culture and history extends from the centralization of authority under the Qin Dynasty, through the turbulent Republican and Maoist eras into the modern day.
Audience: 9th Grade - Adult
Time: 90 minutes
Fee: $60
Asian Pacific Islander Americans and the Formation of San Diego
Celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Month this May with a specialized lecture about immigrants from Asia and the Pacific who have made contributions to San Diego history. From the pioneering spirit of William Heath Davis, to Ah Quin: the unofficial mayor of San Diego's Chinatown, to the growth of Japanese agriculture and the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees, learn how San Diego became a unique and diverse place to live.
Audience: All ages
Time: 15 - 60 minutes
Fee: $60
Temporary Exhibit Lectures NEW!
Delve deeper into the current display in the Sun Yat-Sen Extension
Building in an informative PowerPoint presentation with our
education coordinator. This year's exhibits include antique locks,
ancient pottery and tea cozies. Contact the museum to find out what
is currently available.
Audience: All ages
Time: 30 minutes
Fee: $60
* Brush Painting Add-On $30 NEW!
Experience Chinese calligraphy or brush painting firsthand! The
extra fee allows participants to create their own art with ink and
brushes in conjunction with one of the above lessons marked with
an asterisk.
Curator Presentations
*Curator Presentations can be conducted at the museum or
your
site. Presentations at the museum are limted to 35 attendees. Larger
groups are allowed if the presentation is not conducted at the museum.
In Search of Gold Mountain, The History of the Chinese in San Diego, CA (illustrated by historic 35mm slides)
This presentation explains why, when, and from what part of China the
Chinese emigrated, how they came to America and in what activities they
engaged, especially in California and San Diego.
Audience: 4th Grade - Adult
Time: 90 Minutes
Fee: $60
The Story of Ah Quin
There is no other person in the early history of the Chinese who is
more deserving of being called the patriarch of the Chinese community than Ah Quin. He stands with the founding fathers of San Diego along
with the likes of Alonzo Horton and George Marston.
Audience: 4th Grade - Adult
Time: 90 Minutes
Fee: $60
The Asian Pacific Historic District and Old Chinatown (includes walking tour of APHD)
This presentation includes a description of what San Diego's Chinatown
was like at the turn-of-the-century. San Diego was a port town and a wild west town with its fair share of vices.
Audience: 4th Grade - Adult
Time: 90 Minutes
Fee: $60
The Chinese Fishing Industry of San Diego
Fishing was a familiar activity for many of the Chinese who came from
the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province of China; therefore, it was understandable that the early Chinese immigrants would take up this
activity in the bountiful waters off the California coast.
Audience: 4th Grade - Adult
Time: 90 Minutes
Fee: $60
The Land of Fusang (illustrated with overhead transparencies)
Fusang was the name the Chinese gave to the area of Mexico due to the
prevalence of the fusang tree, or century plant (agave americana). It was a land which Hwui Shan, a mendicant Buddhist priest visited on an
evangelistic inspired voyage from China in 458 A.D.
Audience: 4th Grade - Adult
Time: 90 Minutes
Fee: $60
Grandfather's Bones (illustrated with overhead transparencies)
This presentations recounts the story of the Curator's own
grandfather's journey to America. "My grandfather was the first member of my family to emigrate from China to America. It was grandfather's
destiny to go overseas to seek his fortune. He traveled to America like many of his fellow villagers before him to work on the construction of
the railroads in the Western United States."
Audience: 4th Grade - Adult
Time: 90 Minutes
Fee: $60
