SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The Bay Area is getting ready for Lunar New Year celebrations just weeks away, but business owners in San Francisco’s Chinatown are struggling amid preparations that have been months in the making.
Nacy Yu Law’s store AsiaStar Fantasy is among the places preparing.
Yu Law says she and her husband helped transform the facade on the side of her shop into a blessing wall.
What started out as a family tradition 11 years ago, is now something for the entire community.
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“Let’s get everybody together and write a good luck message, a blessing message and we put it inside a red envelope, and we going to post it for the whole year,” Yu Law said.
The upcoming year will be the Year of the Horse, a zodiac symbol that represents optimism and opportunity.
These are two things Yu Law says people in Chinatown desperately need.
“I talked to all my friends, and they didn’t do that well,” she said.
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Yu Law says the past year has been difficult for many businesses in the neighborhood, thanks in part to uncertain trade policy and a drop in tourism.
That includes Ellison Enterprise, a traditional Chinese herb shop down the road.
“Generally, when the tariffs kicked in and the price went up, the sales usually went down a little bit.” co-owner Edward Lau said.
Lau says despite the setback, he’s hopeful this Lunar New Year will bring a boost in business and that he’s been stocking up on supplies ahead of the holiday since last fall.
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Everywhere you go on the streets of Chinatown, businesses are gearing up for the Lunar New Year celebrations, But Mayor Daniel Lurie says there’s also security preparations that are underway.
Those preparations include extra police on neighborhood streets as well as continued city planning, which are all positive signs for Yu Law, who says she’s determined to make this year a successful one.
“This year, because of Year of the Horse, we feel more optimistic,” she said. “Because we feel the zodiac sign of the Year of the Horse will bring us good luck.”
Lunar New Year day will be on February 17.
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