San Francisco Chinatown Visitor Information Center

02/26/2025

Building on the success of the inaugural festival in 2024, which was warmly embraced by the San Francisco Chinatown community, SFCVIC is proud to establish this festival as an annual cultural highlight during the Chinese Lunar New Year. This event celebrates a cherished tradition from Guangdong Province, fostering cultural connection and pride.

For February 2025, SFCVIC is the exclusive ticketing center for two spectacular Cantonese Opera events:
-Hosted by Sing Tao Daily
-Hosted by the American Bo Wo Association

Visitors and audiences are welcome to purchase tickets at the center and enjoy a free photo opportunity with our costumed doll. Join us in celebrating this rich cultural tradition!

01/17/2025

Cantonese Opera, or Yueju (粤剧), is a vibrant and traditional form of Chinese theatre that blends music, singing, acting, and acrobatics to tell stories. It is often rooted in Chinese history, folklore, and literature. Originating in the Guangdong province and flourishing in southern China, it is one of China's most prominent regional operas.

What sets Cantonese Opera apart is its distinctive style of singing, which incorporates both high-pitched and emotional vocal techniques alongside powerful music played with traditional Chinese instruments, such as the yunluo (a type of gong), erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument) and p**a (a four-stringed lute). The costumes are elaborate and colorful, and the performances often involve stylized movements and martial arts, showcasing the performers' physical prowess.

The themes of Cantonese Opera range from heroic epics and romantic dramas to political and moral stories. The characters, such as the sheng (male lead), dan (female lead), jing (painted face, often a villain or warrior), and chou (comic or clown role), each have distinctive costumes, makeup, and mannerisms that bring the stories to life.

If you ever have the opportunity, experiencing a live Cantonese Opera performance is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in one of China's oldest and most beloved theatrical traditions. Don't miss out on the event days; call 415-989-7111 for ticket sales.

01/16/2025

2025 California Hong Kong Cantonese Opera Festival

Show time: February 8th -9th, 2025
Place: Chinese American International School Theater (Mercy High School)
3250 19th Ave. San Francisco CA94132
Performance Programs:
1. 2/8/25 12:30pm-4:30pm Collection of Classical Short Plays
2. 2/8/25 6:00pm-9:00pm Thunderous Battle Drums (Whole Story)
3. 2/9/25 2:00pm-5:00pm The Legend of the Purple Hairpin (Whole Story)

Ticket Sale: $128, $68, $48
Phone order: 415-989-7111 or 650-808-8888

01/15/2025

People had a great time during our Free Guided Tour in 2024! We hope you enjoyed exploring Chinatown. The tour will return at the end of 2025—see you then!

12/04/2024

The holiday season is just around the corner! Come visit SFCVIC and dance with our Santa. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a wonderful time exploring San Francisco Chinatown!

11/14/2024

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! SFCVIC invites you to join us for a "Tea Tasting" at our center. "Sip your way to happiness!" and learn more about the art and culture of tea.

This is the first tourist information center in Chinatown. We closely work with the tourist industry and strive to increase foot traffic by promoting community events and festivals. We are also an official partner of San Francisco Travel.

11/05/2024

The Free Chinatown Tours are filling up quickly! Only a few spots remain for December 14, 2024, and January 14, 2025. Please sign up soon to secure your spot. We'll send a reminder email to all participants two weeks before the tour date. Good luck, and enjoy the tour!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdaLXm7I1W7raMaLpnk5Yt3l4mdgAuASVhiRSIShyzMUBTxFg/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawGWExdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHR3fn-2VYgjyO7-dWAKVabbkDRzwEGq9JqZkbmGixHApeJEYasakGSURyA_aem_TdcEVc2ZxntLRhExHTH4CQ

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween to all of you! Thank you for coming "Trick or Treat" at our visitor center.

09/21/2024

9/21/2024 Bay Area Food Festival at Chinese Cultural Center now! Come n enjoy delious food n great
Music ! 750 Kearny St SF 3rd floor.
See you!

09/20/2024

September is the busiest month for Chinatown, with events like the Car Show, Mid-Autumn Festival Street Fair, and Food Festival taking place. The Visitor Center invites everyone to stop by, snap a free photo, and enjoy some relaxing moments in Chinatown this month.

09/10/2024

We are excited to announce that 12 well-known cafes and restaurants in San Francisco will be joining our 2024 Food Festival:
德興燒臘 Duk Hing Chinese Deli & Meat
幸運女神 Lady Luck Cafe
嘉頓餅家 Garden Bakery
點心薈 Dim Sum Bistro
永興餅家茶餐廳 The AA Bakery & Cafe
幸福餅家 Icafe Chinatown
地鐵站奶茶甜品 Metro Hong Kong Dessert
客來嚐 Wendy and Moon Grocery
園林點心 House of Dim Sum
幸運星休閑居 Lucky Star Dim Sum Cafe
京都餐館 DBA Capital Restaurant
茶妍觀色 By Me Boba Tea
There will be plenty of delicious food and drinks to choose from, and don't forget we also have a live band on stage. Come join us for this wonderful food festival!
Buy tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-food-festival-at-san-francisco-chinatown-tickets-1004061273297?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

09/02/2024

08/30/2024

Join us for our annual Food Festival this year at the Chinese Culture Center Ballroom on Saturday, September 21, 2024! Enjoy a lively performance by the "Sensation Band of the Orient," featuring Alice n the Wave with special guest singers. Don’t miss out on the fun! Please buy tickets at Eventbrite.com( First 100 guests can get 15% discount, please enter code "SFCVIC"):
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-food-festival-at-san-francisco-chinatown-tickets-1004061273297?aff=oddtdtcreator

Or come in person to our vistor informatin center！If you have any questions, call us at 650-808-8888.😃

08/28/2024

Be one of the early birds and receive a free souvenir! Experience the unique fusion of Western and Chinese rock music with Alice n the Wave. Plus, participate in our exciting raffle for a chance to win special prizes. Join us for an unforgettable time!

Get ready to feast at the 2024 Food Festival in the heart of San Francisco Chinatown - it's going to be a delicious adventure!

08/26/2024

As summer draws to a close, we're excited to announce the results of the August 2024 Photo Competition:

1st Place: Suz Lipman
2nd Place: Violet Chan
3rd Place: May Moore

SFCVIC will be reaching out to the winners via email, and the grand prize will be mailed out shortly. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. As a token of our appreciation, we're offering a special photo frame as a gift to all contestants. Please visit our visitor center to claim your reward.

07/18/2024

Have you captured any photos in San Francisco's Chinatown this summer? We invite you to submit your favorite photo to our visitor center's photo contest. Share your artistic vision with us and win a cash prize ranging from $100 to $300. Here are the simple rules:

1. The photo must feature San Francisco's Chinatown.
2. Your photo should capture the human interest, energy, cultural pride, and close-knit community spirit of Chinatown, along with demonstrating good photography. While recent photos are preferred, they are not mandatory.
3. Include a brief description of the photo.
4. The image file should be at least 4 megapixels. We accept JPEG or PNG formats.
5. First prize is $300, second prize is $200, and third prize is $100.
6. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges from the Chinatown Photographic Society.
7. Deadline to submit the photo: Monday, 8/19/24.
8. Send your photo to [email protected].
9. SFCVIC reserves the rights to print and display the winning photos.
10. Winners will be announced on our website on August 26, 2024.

Take this opportunity to explore our historic and vibrant community and support our local businesses.

This is the first tourist information center in Chinatown. We closely work with the tourist industry and strive to increase foot traffic by promoting community events and festivals. We are also an official partner of San Francisco Travel.