Celebrate the Chinese New Year!
Dragon at the Chinese New Year’s Parade in San Francisco
Photo uploaded by Dawn Endico
If you’re in San Francisco this January or February, you should certainly head over to the oldest Chinatown in the United States to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Along with dazzling arrays of food and fun, a parade will be held on February 23rd (5:30 - 8 pm) as the crowning event of the celebration.
The parade is the largest of its kind outside of Asia, complete with a 201 foot-long Golden Dragon, carried by a team of over 100 men and women. The dragon is crafted out of rattan, bamboo, colored lights, silver rivets, and white rabbit fur. There will also be fireworks, acrobatics, the newly crowned Miss Chinatown, high school bands, and many elaborate floats.
If you love flowers and other exotic plant life, there’s also the Chinese New Year Flower Fair, held on February 2 & 3. There will be gorgeous peach blossoms, orchids, narcissus, tangerines, chrysanthemums, and snap dragons for sale, along with a Children’s Fair.
From January 23- 26th, you can also catch the Chinese New Year Spectacular, who “…bring (their) audience the essence, the true spirit of the Chinese culture expressed in the forms of classical performing arts, giving people a deeper understanding and connection to the Chinese culture.”
To learn even more about Chinatown and the Asian cultures of San Francisco, check out our blog post entitled “East Meets West in San Francisco.”
Planning a trip to San Francisco? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go San Francisco Card.
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