I headed up to San Francisco for the San Francisco Taiwanese American Cultural Festival, which takes place every May as part of Taiwanese American Heritage Week. It is truly surreal and beautiful to see booths selling homemade traditional foods and schoolkids performing Chinese and Aboriginal dances, set against the backdrop of historic hotels and department stores of Union Square. It’s a long way from the Taiwanese bazaars of my childhood, which took place in a community center parking lot.
So below, I’m sharing a few of the sights from the 2011 event.
Live music was playing all day on the stage
My son tried his hand at Chinese brush painting
Taiwanese hand puppets. I remember my family had some of these when I was a child.
Taiwanese street fair games- everyone gets a prize
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month continues through the end of May, with activities going on all over the country, including the seventh annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration in San Francisco’s Civic Center, this Saturday, May 11 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Jeanette says
Thanks for reminding me of Asian Pacific American Pacific Heritage Month! As my kids are growing older, it makes me more aware of my heritage and the heritage I want to pass along to my children.
Grace says
Yes, when you have kids, you don’t for granted your heritage and the traditions your own parents passed down to you! Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Jeannette.