Lantern lighting ceremony and night market to take place on September 29 at 500 Grant Avenue in SF Chinatown

(SAN FRANCISCO) BeChinatown's co-founder Lily Lo is also named as the “Queen of Lanterns”. Lo has taken another lead to extend the lantern project to 400 and 500 blocks of Grant Avenue in San Francisco Chinatown. The lantern lighting ceremony and a night market will be held on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival Day, September 29.

Lo also serves as the CEO of Northeast Community Federal Credit Union in Chinatown. For many years, the lanterns in Chinatown could only be seen on two blocks of Grant Avenue from California Street to Clay Street.

In recent years, Lo started adding lanterns first on Waverly Place, then Ross Alley, Wentworth Place, Spofford Alley, and the 800 block of Grant Avenue.

The latest lantern project was extended to the 400 and 500 blocks of Grant Avenue which is next to the Chinatown Gate and Union Square at one end. The other end is to connect with the lanterns that start hanging outside Far East Cafe to the north part of Grant Avenue in Chinatown.

"I believe 400 and 500 blocks of Grant Avenue are very crucial to Chinatown 's business community," said Lo who recently visited Chicago and the Chinatown.

"The drinks shops in Chicago Chinatown are open until 2 am. Many young people still stay at their Chinatown late at night. But our stores in San Francisco Chinatown mostly close by 5 or 6 pm," said Lo. "There is a big difference between two Chinatowns in the metro cities."

Major funds for installing new lanterns at 400 and 500 blocks of Grant Avenue were from private donations, including a Chinatown property owner who donated a significant fund for the lantern project.

The Lighting ceremony for the new lanterns on two blocks will take place on Mid-Autumn Festival Day, September 29, from 6 pm to 10 pm. A night market will be held at 500 block of Grant Avenue to provide Asian food for visitors. "I hope the night market will bring in more young people to Chinatown,” Lo said.