This September, the public is invited to get a first peek inside Chinatown’s iconic Empress of China building at a free, festive, and family-friendly community open house on Saturday, September 12, 2026 from 11am-4pm. Newly acquired in 2026 by the Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative (CMAC), The Empress enters a new era of community stewardship as a hub for arts and culture in Chinatown with this joyous housewarming event featuring opening performances, artist-created archival photo and film projections, hands-on art and wellness activities, and more.

Long a home for celebrations, civic gatherings, and the collective memories of generations of Chinatown families, The Empress, built in 1966 and celebrating its 60th year, was shuttered in 2016 and has been closed to the public since. Now, CMAC is transforming the iconic landmark into a cultural campus where artists, cultural organizations, and neighborhood residents will collectively shape exhibitions, performances, public art, and community programming–ensuring that The Empress continues to evolve as a living center for creativity, belonging, and Chinatown’s future.

“The Chinese name for this open house event is ????, which translates to ‘The Empress is Inviting You In.’ We hope people will walk through these doors, feel a deep sense of ownership, and recognize that this space is theirs to shape,” says Mabel Teng, co-Executive Director, CMAC. “CMAC was founded on the conviction that Chinatown has the agency to tell and amplify its own stories, and our transformation of the iconic Empress of China is a vital step in this direction.”

“CMAC is undergoing long-range planning to transform this landmark into a dynamic cultural campus–a place where the community and visitors can find a safe sense of belonging. This open house is a warm invitation to everyone to join the conversation. Together, we can transform Grant Avenue into a constellation of art hubs driven by community architecture, design, and creativity,” says Stephen Gong, co-Executive Director, CMAC.

Open house attendees will find the first floor of The Empress reimagined by artist Summer Lee as a comfy living room that offers opportunities to gather, connect, and explore the building’s past and future. Local artists Lenore Chinn and Anna Eng as well as Center for Asian America Media each contribute projected compilations of archival images and film that are sure to stir nostalgia for the building and neighborhood. Artist Stephan Xie contributes a community photography project that reveals the lived experience of contemporary Chinatown, and poet and calligrapher Chong Shan Guan offers an installation of traditional couplets. Event partner RAMS, Inc. will lead hands-on art and wellness activities for all ages throughout the afternoon including shadow puppets with Caryl Kientz from Shadow Light Productions.

This September, the public is invited to get a first peek inside Chinatown’s iconic Empress of China building at a free, festive, and family-friendly community open house on Saturday, September 12, 2026 from 11am-4pm. Newly acquired in 2026 by the Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative (CMAC), The Empress enters a new era of community stewardship as a hub for arts and culture in Chinatown with this joyous housewarming event featuring opening performances, artist-created archival photo and film projections, hands-on art and wellness activities, and more.

Long a home for celebrations, civic gatherings, and the collective memories of generations of Chinatown families, The Empress, built in 1966 and celebrating its 60th year, was shuttered in 2016 and has been closed to the public since. Now, CMAC is transforming the iconic landmark into a cultural campus where artists, cultural organizations, and neighborhood residents will collectively shape exhibitions, performances, public art, and community programming–ensuring that The Empress continues to evolve as a living center for creativity, belonging, and Chinatown’s future.

“The Chinese name for this open house event is ????, which translates to ‘The Empress is Inviting You In.’ We hope people will walk through these doors, feel a deep sense of ownership, and recognize that this space is theirs to shape,” says Mabel Teng, co-Executive Director, CMAC. “CMAC was founded on the conviction that Chinatown has the agency to tell and amplify its own stories, and our transformation of the iconic Empress of China is a vital step in this direction.”

“CMAC is undergoing long-range planning to transform this landmark into a dynamic cultural campus–a place where the community and visitors can find a safe sense of belonging. This open house is a warm invitation to everyone to join the conversation. Together, we can transform Grant Avenue into a constellation of art hubs driven by community architecture, design, and creativity,” says Stephen Gong, co-Executive Director, CMAC.

Open house attendees will find the first floor of The Empress reimagined by artist Summer Lee as a comfy living room that offers opportunities to gather, connect, and explore the building’s past and future. Local artists Lenore Chinn and Anna Eng as well as Center for Asian America Media each contribute projected compilations of archival images and film that are sure to stir nostalgia for the building and neighborhood. Artist Stephan Xie contributes a community photography project that reveals the lived experience of contemporary Chinatown, and poet and calligrapher Chong Shan Guan offers an installation of traditional couplets. Event partner RAMS, Inc. will lead hands-on art and wellness activities for all ages throughout the afternoon including shadow puppets with Caryl Kientz from Shadow Light Productions.