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Little Saigon in Tenderloin lighted up with red lanterns for a safer neighborhood

Portia Li
Portia Li
November 22, 2022
Supervisor Dean Preston (from left), Tenderloin Merchants Association President Aref Egalli, Community Ambassador, and BeChinatown founder Lily Lo joins the lighting ceremony at Little Saigon in Tenderloin. Photo by Portia Li
Supervisor Dean Preston (from left), Tenderloin Merchants Association President Aref Egalli, Community Ambassador, and BeChinatown founder Lily Lo joins the lighting ceremony at Little Saigon in Tenderloin. Photo by Portia Li

(SAN FRANCISCO) Little Saigon, the commercial corridor in Tenderloin, was lighted up with red lanterns last Sunday to make it a safer and more attractive neighborhood for residents and customers.

The lighting project in Little Saigon of Tenderloin was a collaboration of multiple organizations and community leaders, including Manny Yekutiel, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board Director and owner of the Manny Restaurant in the Mission District, Aref Egalli, Board Chairman of the Tenderloin Merchants and Property Owners Association, and Lily Lo, Co-Founder of BeChinatown.

Yekutiel raised funds from private donors to fulfill his plan to light up the commercial corridors in all districts in the city. Two alleys in Chinatown, Hang Ah and Spofford, were recently installed with lanterns by BeChinatown with the funding provided by Yekutiel.

Red lanterns and lights are installed on two blocks of Larkin Street at the Little Saigon corridor in Tenderloin. Photo by Portia Li
Red lanterns and lights are installed on two blocks of Larkin Street at the Little Saigon corridor in Tenderloin. Photo by Portia Li

Little Saigon in Tenderloin was also one of the projects funded by Yekutiel. Lo supported Yekutiel's effort to light up the entire city by donating red lanterns to the Little Saigon project. The lights and lanterns were installed on two blocks of Larkin Street, between O'Farrell and Ellis Streets.

Lighting ceremony was held on November 13. District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston praised the project to beautify Tenderloin. "Under the redistricting plan, six months ago I started to represent Tenderloin. I am thrilled to represent this neighborhood. So many organizations and individuals are trying hard everyday to make it a beautiful place," said Preston.