Meet Linda Lee, owner of All About Chinatown Tours, now in its 41st year. Linda was born in Chinese Hospital in Chinatown, and contrary to popular opinion, she is not the wife of Bruce Lee, who was also born in Chinese Hospital. Linda attended public schools in San Francisco and the historic Chung Wah Chinese School in Chinatown. Her career in travel started at age four when she helped stamp brochures for her family’s travel agency in Chinatown, established in 1957. Linda graduated from Berkeley with degrees in Rhetoric and Oriental Languages and holds a teaching credential from San Francisco State University.

Worldwide travel both as a travel agency owner and sales rep for Trans World Airlines led Linda to think about creating a tour in her own backyard. She also served 6 years as a director and executive officer of the Chinese Historical Society of America.

Linda combined these life experiences to create tour programs that allow visitors an insider’s view most people never see or hear about.

Tish Borden’s love of the outdoors finds her pounding the pavements to share her passion for all things Chinese. Formerly a ski instructor and now director of swim programs, this active mother of three lived in Taiwan and speaks Mandarin. Tish’s first tour with us was in 1996.

Francis Chiu is our multilingual tour guide, fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese. He was selected by the Chinese Consulate General of San Francisco as their official tour escort for their sightseeing programs for visiting dignitaries. Francis grew up in San Francisco and is a graduate of the International Tour Management Institute. When he is not helping us with our Chinatown tour programs in English or Chinese, Francis works on tour programs in Southern California, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and many national parks. Francis’ first tour with us was in 2005.

Lynn Eichinger’s interest in the Chinese in America goes back decades, inspiring her to lead tours of Chinatown and Angel Island State Park, where she is a docent. Previous professions include working for IBM and McKesson Corporation as an information technology manager, as well as having taught in public schools for 9 years. This is Lynn’s 18th year with us.

Alan Fong started conducting tours in Chinatown since 1970, making him the most experienced leader on our team. Alan trained tour guides for Grayline Sightseeing for 13 years. His extensive experience and deep roots in the community give a true insider’s perspective of Chinatown. Alan is also a volunteer docent at the Asian Art Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. This is Alan’s 37th year with us.

Stan Gee, or “Uncle Gee,” continues to enthrall guests of all ages with his stories of growing up in Chinatown. His mantra of “education”, “respect”, “family” and “I can do” inspire our student groups as well as seniors. Stan retired as a vice president of an international communications conglomerate to start Gee Consultants, a consulting firm for corporations interested in doing business in China. This is Stan’s 27th year with us.

Beth Graubart has been leading groups around San Francisco and the Bay Area for over twenty years, first as an elementary school teacher and now as a professional tour guide. She is a graduate of the International Tour Management Institute and a member of the San Francisco Tour Guide Guild. Her tours combine history, culture, and literature, with a spirit of adventure and a sense of humor and fun. Other tour companies that Beth has worked for are Gourmet Walks, Hop On/Hop Off Bus Tours, and San Francisco Movie Tours. This is Beth’s 19th year with us.

Janice Hom is a native San Franciscan and started with us in 2001. Involved with the Asian Art Museum, Chinese Culture Center, Asian Business League, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, her extensive knowledge of Asian arts makes her a true “walking encyclopedia.”

Harvey Louie, born and raised in Chinatown, has extensive historical and insightful cultural knowledge of Chinatown. His active insurance business, as well as his leadership in many community organizations, keep him in touch with the business and political affairs of Chinatown. Harvey is an avid boater and races annually in the Dragon Boat Festival of the Bay Area. Harvey’s first tour with us was in 2001.

Don McNab brings the tremendous study of the Chinese language and culture to his tour. Fluent in Spanish, Hebrew, and Mandarin Chinese, Don is working on adding Russian. Don’s diverse work in teaching, the travel industry, and as an associate producer for Fox News helps him enjoy people of all backgrounds. This is Don’s 23rd year with us.

Vicky Northridge is arguably the true Chinese scholar of the team. She is an accomplished foreign language teacher, fluent and literate in Mandarin and French, and has worked as a consultant and cultural liaison for businesses and government agencies from China. Vicky has led specialized groups to China and maintains homes in San Francisco, China, and Tibet. Vicky’s first tour with us was in 2000.

Regina Quan is a true native of Chinatown. If you recognize these names: Chinese Hospital, Commodore Stockton, Marina, Galileo, City, CSUSF, and Nam Kue, no one other than a child born in Chinatown could string these schools together. Added authenticity: Regina’s family owned a restaurant and dry goods store in Chinatown. Small town girl traveled to Russia, China, Japan, Australia, Tahiti, Scandinavia, Central Europe, Northern Europe, and more. We are lucky to have Regina do tours for us after retiring from a successful string of businesses in the food industry and interior design. Regina’s hobbies are cooking and shopping. With this background, she can share the best of Chinatown with our visitors. This is Regina’s 8th year with us.

Madelon Van Lier, fluent in Dutch and Hebrew, is a graduate of the International Tour Management Institute and a Certified Guide in the San Francisco Tour Guide Guild. She has been conducting tours throughout California and Europe since 1996. We are blessed with her attention to detail, respect for other cultures, and her worldwide travel experiences, which includes participating in a dig at Beit Shean, Israel. Madelon’s first tour with us was in 1996.

Frank Yee is an English as a Second Language instructor for adults. Flawless in spoken Cantonese and Mandarin and literate as well, Frank’s family goes back 5 generations in Chinatown. In his own words, “I want to share my knowledge of the longest continuous human civilization in history and the integral role Chinatown played in the founding of San Francisco.” This is Frank’s 37th year with us.