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In San Francisco's Chinatown, Thomas Tam, owner of custom dress shop Dragon Seed, sits behind his counter, observing pedestrians pass by his store. The street outside, once bustling with locals and tourists, now sees only occasional passersby on weekdays.

Dragon Seed, specializing in handmade traditional dresses, has been a Chinatown fixture since 1982. Tam's exquisite qipao dresses have graced the winners of the annual Miss Chinatown USA pageant.

Tam received only a few orders this summer, usually the shop's busiest season. "It's the lack of foot traffic since the pandemic," he told China Daily. "People switch to online shopping and would not come downtown for shopping."