SF Hosts Chinese New Year Parade
San Francisco's annual Chinese New Year Parade is taking place today in Chinatown. The major cultural event is accompanied by a community street fair and a treasure hunt, with significant road closures and public transit changes in effect throughout the city.
The San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade, one of the largest celebrations of its kind outside of Asia, has a history dating back to the 1860s. Chinese immigrants, who came to San Francisco during the Gold Rush, started the tradition as a way to share their culture with the broader community. The modern iteration of the parade has been organized by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce since 1953. This nighttime illuminated parade is a significant event, attracting over 3 million viewers on television and online, in addition to large crowds of spectators along the 1.3-mile route. The parade typically features nearly 100 participating groups, including elaborate floats, marching bands, and cultural performers. A major highlight of the parade is the "Gum Lung," or Golden Dragon, which stretches an impressive 288 feet. It takes a team of more than 180 men and women from the White Crane martial arts group to carry the dragon through the city streets. The celebration is known for its vibrant and noisy atmosphere, with the explosion of over 600,000 firecrackers. The event also includes the crowning of Miss Chinatown U.S.A. and her court, who make an appearance in the parade. The festivities extend beyond the parade to a month-long festival that includes street fairs, a basketball tournament, and the Miss Chinatown U.S.A. Pageant.
