Giant lanterns light up San Francisco’s Civic Center

Sixteen oversized bamboo lanterns at Civic Center outside City Hall will lighten up the area from now until March 10. Dedicated on Sunday at the start of the Lunar New Year, the exhibit, entitled Sui Sui Ping An - Peace All Year Round, was created by Hong Kong-based artist Freeman Lau.

In addition to honoring the new year, the new piece of public art, according to SFist, “serves to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong special administrative region after its sovereignty was transferred from the UK to China.”

The pieces range in size from 16 to 20 feet.

“As we saw with the very successful rabbit installation this year, large-scale temporary art has the power to catalyze the community and invigorate our public spaces,” Tom DeCaigny, Director of Cultural Affairs, tells Hoodline.

The lanterns are vivid with color and delightfully large, making them a worthy of taking a trip to the embattled Civic Center area. Noted San Francisco photographer Darin Bell snapped these shots of the lanterns lit up at dusk.

• Bamboo Lanterns Light Up Civic Center For Lunar New Year [SFist]
• Peace All Year Round' Public Dedication [Hoodline]