In my quest for the A to Z Challenge theme I was lucky enough to come across the Illuminate SF phenomenon that has been happening for the last 10 years. I really have to get out more since I had never heard of it. Once I got my theme I just needed to figure out how to make the installations work for me. Strictly speaking, there wasn’t a perfectly named attraction for each letter of the alphabet so like yesterday’s “F”, today we’re getting creative and using the name of the place instead of the display.
Lantern Stories can be found on Grant Avenue in San Francisco, which is the main street in Chinatown. The first time I went on my excursion through the city I saw these lanterns down a little side street and I thought they were what I was supposed to be looking for. They are very pretty and it makes an interesting sight but somehow I knew it wasn’t quite right. There were too many that looked the same and while I can’t read Chinese, I didn’t think the writing on them was actually telling a story.
I did a little more research on the exhibit and found that it was actually ON Grant Street, not a side street. I saw that the lanterns were different shapes and definitely had stories on them in the form of pictures and words. So I went back in search of the true Lantern Stories.
Yu-Wen Wu created 29 illustrated lanterns and they were installed last year, 2022. Twelve of the lanterns depict specific San Franciscan people, places or events like the 1906 earthquake, Angel Island Detention Center, actor Bruce Lee and author Amy Tan.
These were much more interesting to look at and I’m so glad I decided to go back and find them. The video is from a Monday night around 8 PM. The stores are closed but there is still a lot of neat stuff to see. Definitely makes me want to explore more.
Best Viewing: 600 Block of Grant Street after dark.
And we made it through week one! I’m going to try to visit some new folks tomorrow on our “day off.” See you Monday with the letter “H.”
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Hi, Janet!
ReplyDeleteHappy Saturday "G" day, dear friend!
The mere mention of Grant Avenue immediately flashes me back to boyhood. My parents brought home a 45 containing a version of "Grant Avenue," the song from the 1958 Broadway musical and 1961 movie Flower Drum Song. This catchy song quickly became a favorite of mine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LHTkXO_Bd0
Did you ever eat the dishes mentioned in the song - shark-fin soup, bean cake fish?
The only thing better than a lantern to add a festive glow to the city at night is a whole bunch of them, and your camera captured excellent shots as you ventured into the Chinatown district. How do you think you missed the main Grant Ave. display the first time you went down there? I'm glad you went back again and this time discovered the Lantern Stories exhibit. It's awe inspiring! The 29 lanterns are like illuminated scrapbook layouts suspended above the street and sidewalks. The video shows them off to an even greater extent because we can see them swaying in the breeze.
This was my favorite Illuminate attraction so far. Thank you, dear friend Janet. Have a very happy Easter!
Hi my friend. Thanks so much for sharing that link. I didn't know about the song, although I've heard of the movie Flower Drum Song. None of those dishes sound appealing to me actually, although I do like fish. I'm pretty sure I missed the lanterns the first time because I came through from the other direction and since I was driving myself, I was looking straight ahead, not up. Not being familiar with the city streets and worrying about the one way streets, it was not that easy for me to navigate. I'm glad you liked this one. They do look like flying scrapbooks, don't they? Have a Happy Easter too. We are having a quiet day.
DeleteI love this! The lanterns are very artistic and unique and have stories to each. What a neat thing to see.
ReplyDeleteUghhh…this is Birgit. I bought a new iPad and can’t seem to connect when I write on people’s blogs
DeleteHi Birgit. I hate when that happens. Sometimes you just need to sign in again and then it will work.
DeleteI try to sign in but it just comes to my reading page as if I am signed in. I have no idea how to correct this
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