Why This Graffiti is Special

Original Banksy piece in San Francisco's Chinatown kept clean

When internationally famous British street artist Banksy was in San Francisco to promote his film Exit Through the Gift Shop, he left a few pieces around the city.

One, a stencil of a doctor checking a spray-painted heart, reportedly titled "Peaceful Hearts," located in Chinatown, was one of the first to be spotted by fans -- and by other graffiti writers.

Shortly after it went up, a sign in chinese was posted nearby telling the Department of Public Works that it was a piece of artwork, and shouldn't be erased.

Now a new sign reads "Please help us preserve this piece of art," and two art lovers were spotted cleaning up the piece after it had been painted over by someone.

Banksy's renown has surely attracted even more passerby to the already popular tourist destination. The artist apparently also left his mark at another tourist-friendly Alcatraz -- of a rat trying to tunnel his way out.

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