San Francisco's Chinatown prepares for Lunar New Year's return after COVID-19 hiatus

Record ID: 1657340

  • Title: San Francisco's Chinatown prepares for Lunar New Year's return after COVID-19 hiatus
  • Date: 29th January 2022
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) LUCAS LI, 23, WORKS AT LION TRADING GOODS STORE IN CHINATOWN, SAYING: "Since the pandemic, no one has really stepped outside of their house. This year finally, after vaccinations and all of that, people are starting to come out a bit. Like you see here, people are starting to come in here a lot more than last year, and so that's a very good thing." LI
  • Embargoed: 12th February 2022 22:19
  • Keywords: COVID-19 Chinatown celebrations Chinese New Year Lunar New Year San Francisco San Francisco Chinatown coronavirus pandemic racism
  • Location: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA003FWAF5ND
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: After a hiatus last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, San Francisco's Chinese New Year Festival and Parade return to the city's famed Chinatown neighborhood this year.
    The festival officially kicks off on Tuesday (February 1) with the start of the Lunar New Year. Its parade follows on Saturday (February 19). However, the annual celebration began unofficially on Saturday (January 29) with a flower market fair and a mini-parade led by community members and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
    The neighborhood's atmosphere has largely been subdued over the past two years with the pandemic forcing the state to issue a shelter-in-place order in March 2020.
    In addition, Asian and Asian-American communities have suffered from rising rates of hate crimes during the past two years. Statistics showed that 60 hate crimes were committed against Asians in San Francisco during 2021, up from only nine the year before, city police announced this past week.
    But on Saturday, the streets were packed with residents to pick up traditional holiday items such as the Kumquat tree, which symbolizes good luck and prosperity, a variety of flowers which symbolize anything from fertility and abundance to endurance and courage, and special envelopes used to give cash.
    Suosdey Penn, a 48-year-old San Francisco resident, came by with her 15-year-old son to check out the market.
    "It's really exciting and it's also just really heart-warming, and it's long overdue," said Penn, whose husband is of Chinese descent and has celebrated Lunar New Year for many years. "I think people are really just excited and can't wait for life to come back to normal so in a way, this is hopefully a kickoff for that--some normalcy."
    Several blocks from downtown, festival and parade director Harlan Wong has been busy preparing for the event's return.
    At an empty store in the Embarcadero Center, Wong is overseeing the construction of props for the parade, including a giant dragon.
    He compares Lunar New Year to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Mardi Gras, all rolled into one super holiday. He says he cannot wait for the official kickoff.
    "For 2022, we're hoping to have a big comeback, we want to be roaring back like a tiger," he said.
    Back in Chinatown, Lucas Li, 23, has watched with joy as shoppers return to the streets and visit shops like the one run by his family, Lion Trading. There his family sells everything New Year-related: special coins, envelopes, and other decorations. An altar stands in the back with incense burning alongside a stack of oranges.
    He said the past two years have been rough for business and the neighborhood in general.
    "When the pandemic happened, it was anxiety everywhere," he said. "I'm happy that things are opening up and people are coming back here."
    The festival's return brings great joy for Kristina Wun Pappas, 58, a product trainer who lives across the San Francisco Bay in nearby Alameda with her husband John.
    "It's very exciting for us. It's been a tough couple of years, regarding the pandemic and everyone being shut-in. It's so much fun seeing things going back to normal," she said while shopping for envelopes and explaining the significance of the envelope's messages to her husband John, who's of Greek descent.
    (Production: Nathan Frandino)
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