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.”
Janet's Smiles 
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Very cool, I’d like to have these for my back yard.
🙂
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Aren’t they pretty? Even the “wrong” ones were cool!
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Visiting from A to Z. I am really enjoying your theme and these lanterns are particularly wonderful
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Thanks Anne! I really liked them too.
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Oh my gosh, these are all so pretty!!
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Aren’t they?
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How pretty all the lanterns are. The video was very nice in viewing them.
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Thanks! I’m glad I found the right ones!
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Wow, this is a really cool installation. I’d love to see – or do – a project like this!
Good Golden Galloping Guide
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Lot’s of great art on such small canvases, right?
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Some people have neat ideas and carry through with them, like these story lanterns. How unique! 🙂
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It was fascinating.
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So beautiful!!!
My A to Z Blogs
DB McNicol – Small Delights, Simple Pleasures, and Significant Memories
My Snap Memories – My Life in Black & White
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Aren’t they?
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Chinatown is an interesting place. There’s more than one establishment where, if you don’t speak Chinese, it’s almost impossible to communicate what you want to them. Mary found that out firsthand…
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I definitely felt out of my element. I did hear a gentleman off to the side explaining things to another couple. I was mostly concerned with getting my pictures. LOL
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Lovely! I’m glad you went back, and now you can say you had a successful lantern quest. I hope you stopped for dinner while you were in Chinatown.
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Actually no. I was by myself again and just needed to get a few more pictures so it was an in and out trip. Hubby and I did go to dinner a few nights before that but it was in North Beach. I’ll be sharing that later 🙂
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