Check Out SF Chinatown’s Brand New Lanterns

San Francisco’s Chinatown has some brand new illuminating art.

Lantern Stories: San Francisco is a new public art installation of 29 illustrated lanterns by award-winning interdisciplinary artist Yu-Wen Wu was installed in October 2022 and illuminates San Francisco Chinatown’s history, culture, and community. Creating a luminous canopy on the 600 block of Grant Avenue, the lanterns relate the long and fraught history and legacy of Chinese immigration in the U.S. They feature images of actor Bruce Lee, author Amy Tan, journalist Helen Zia, pioneer restaurateur Cecilia Chang and others.

Wu has allowed local artists to use some of her lanterns as their canvas. These artists include Philip Hua, Lenora Lee, Summer Mei Ling Lee, Cathy Lu, and Christine Wong Yap. Lantern Stories is part of a national project of encouraging civic dialogue and social justice around issues facing America’s Asian communities. Many highlight the arts, calligraphy, music and performance, as well as the community’s strong commitment to education, entrepreneurship and social justice. 

For the best viewing, head to the corner of Grant Ave. and California St. after dark.