With two upcoming March 2025 Chinese Operas in San Francisco around the bend (scroll to bottom for info), let me share with you my experience of Chinese Opera in SF!
Previously, I mostly came to know about these events by spotting posters in SF chinatown. Buying tickets could sometimes be tricky–often over-the-phone and sometimes in Mandarin. THe difficulty of finding out about these events and getting tickets made it feel like such a hidden gem of San Francisco. Especially seeing how almost the entire crowd was Chinese aunties and uncles.
Easier ways to keep tabs on upcoming performances
Some other good ways to keep tabs, via Instagram, on Chinese Opera and cultural events in San Francisco:
- Mahjong Club–I’m hoping to partake in Mahjong soon!
- @sf_chinatown
- @bestofsfchinatown
- @norcal_hanfu – I found out about them on Xiao Hong Shu (小红书), and I was invited to participate in the hanfu parade!
- @sfcma
Sing Tao Daily seems to organize many of these events, they have an office in Chinatown (Sing Tao Visitor Center, 625 kearny Street, San Francisco) where you can buy tickets and check out upcoming events.
Brief introduction to Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a traditional theatrical art form that combines music, singing, acting, martial arts, and acrobatics into a dynamic performance style. Rooted in centuries of Chinese history, it brings ancient legends, historical events, and moral tales to life through a highly stylized language of gestures, expressions, and vocal techniques. The elaborate costumes and intricate makeup not only enhance the visual spectacle but also serve as symbolic markers, helping audiences distinguish characters and their roles at a glance. There are different forms of Chinese opera, like Cantonese opera and Peking Opera.
I love Chinese opera because it’s such a visually and audibly distinct artform, the costumes, singing, makeup, stories are beautiful. I am also a big fan of 汉服 (hanfu) and I’ve watched so many Chinese period dramas!
My experience celebrating the year of the snake by attending the Sing Tao Cantonese Opera (Feb. 8, 2025)
To welcome the Year of the Snake, this Chinese New Year/Spring Festival (春节), I attended the 2025 California Hong Kong Cantonese Opera Festival, hosted by Sing Tao Daily. The specific play I saw was “Thunderous Golden Drums and War Horns.” It was at Mercy high school, Chinese American international school theater, 3250 19th ave (Sunset District).
For the photos here, I have blurred out some faces due to ongoing concerns within the Chinese immigrant community regarding privacy and safety in the wake of ICE deportations. I also think it’s just respectful and I’m a private person, myself.
I found out about this opera from a poster in Chinatown (San Francisco)! I feel like this is the only way I used to find out about these events. It seems like this is the only way I used to find out about these events—highlighting an accessibility and promotion issue for outsiders. Getting tickets was kind of tricky. Note you’ll be charged right before the performance. Fortunately, my functional Mandarin skills helped me navigate the process. When I attended I quickly realized I was maybe literally the only non-Chinese person there and among the youngest. I hope others can experience this beautiful part of Chinese culture.
I wore Ming Dynasty hanfu to the event. My love of hanfu (汉服 [hanfu]) started around when I saw, I think on CGTN, how there’s a hanfu revival among the young people in China. I think I met a woman from Sing Tao Daily who was there with a photographer, who ended up taking lots of photos with me and aunties who asked to take a photo with me. I was a bit shy at first, but after I saw how much everyone liked it, complimented, encouraged me, I felt great and now next time I think I’ll wear my other hanfu (a modernized one). Although, I’m ashamed to admit, some users on 小红树 have pointed out I didn’t do the collar right, but the netizens there seemed to be very encouraging, too. Not to mention, the Norcal Hanfu Association invited me to participate in the 2025 Hanfu parade!
It was really fun speaking in Mandarin with everyone and meeting their compliments with my attempt at a very Chinese kind of modesty, which then in return was greeted by much laughter and clapping. I even got to share my 小红树 (Xiao Hong Shu/Redbook/Rednote) and Wechat (微信). Many were surprised I was on these CHinese apps. I’m glad I have those contacts now, I feel so much more in touch with the community.
There was much chatter during intermissions (the show ran for 4-5 hours!) among the ladies as I waiting in line for the bathroom. I was asked 你吃了吗 (a greeting that literally means “have you eaten?”), and I frankly let them know that I actually had to rush from gym to the, so I skipped eating. An auntie then gave me snacks from her purse! How sweet is that? Another lady, I think noticing I’m tired, asked i wanted tea–it was so good and helped wake me up for the show. The care I was shown was very touching.
I was also gifted 春联 (chūnlián [spring couplet]), which are like chinese calligraphy (书法) written on long red pieces of paper with auspicious phrases or poetic lines wishing for propserity, happiness, and good fortune. You place them on doorways, especially around Chinese New Year.
LED panels displaying Chinese characters were used to help those who might not understand the language. Although the opera was Cantonese and I speak Mandarin, the shared written language help to bridge the gap. Even for those fluent in either dialect, the archaic style/language of Chinese opera can be challenging.
There was such beautiful choreography, down to the meticulous details of hand gestures for those women performances, which I is called Orchid Fingers (兰花指 [Lánhuā zhǐ]). These delicate and elegant hand gestures are commonly used by dan (旦) roles, played by men, which represent female characters, especially noblewomen and young maidens, expressing femininity, grace, and refinement. These gestures are part of the broader category of 手法 (shǒufǎ), meaning hand techniques, which include a variety of expressive movements in Chinese opera performance.
I love how the 旦 (dan) are able to change their voice so drastically and beautifully for singing, matching the beauty of their makeup and outfit–they looked so beautiful! Their outfits are simply divine, too!
As for choreography, there was also fight sequences and even a sequence involving a pipa (Chinese instrument)!
Finally, the curtain call happened, ending the night, but for one more surprise, I was encouraged to go take photos with the crew, behind the curtain, which was so exciting!
Reflecting on my experience, I’m grateful for the opportunity to engage with such a rich cultural tradition, make new friends, connections, and speak Mandarin with people. Feeling so welcomed and immersed in the culture was truly heartwarming. I’ll cherish this forever.
Upcoming event: saturday march 15, 2025 at 1pm
- [Grand Star Theater, 628 Jackson Street, San Francisco]（https://maps.app.goo.gl/WLiwbSXBzn4q7KPa7）
- Tickets through www.moremallda.com and also
- Sing Tao Visitor Center, 625 Kearny Street, San Francisco
- ticket prices: $118, $68, $48, $38
I think I will be attending, maybe in my modern hanfu!
Upcoming event: March 29 & 30, 2025, 1pm: Tan Yuguan Opera Festival
Maybe you’ll see me here in my modern hanfu!
- Yul Brynner Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard Street (at 3rd Street), San Francisco
- For tickets contact Ms. Zeng: 415-509-8828
- Ticket prices: $138, $88, $48
