On February 6, 2012, the "San Francisco Auspicious Dragon Lantern Show", presented by American International Cultural Exchange Group and supported by San Francisco City Government and Consulate General of China in San Francisco, was inaugurated in San Francisco Civic Center Plaza. Consul General Gao Zhansheng, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and California State Assemblywoman Fiona Ma were invited to the ceremony and gave their remarks. Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives sent her representative to read her congratulatory letter. Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown purposedly came to convey his congratulations.

In his remarks, Consul General Gao Zhansheng indicated that, the show reminds him many of the No. one achievements that San Francisco has ever accomplished in China-US relations. It had the first Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in US, the first Sister City Relationship following the normalization of China-US diplomatic ties, the first direct civil aviation connection from China across the Pacific, and the first and only route that the Beijing Olympic Torch relayed in North America. These programs serve as a window for the American people to know more about Chinese traditional culture and will further enhance China-US friendship and its mutual beneficial cooperation.

Around 1000 audiences attended the ceremony. Some local Chinese and American media including CCTV, Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, Press USA, Phoenix SatelliteTV, World Journal, Sing Tao Daily and NBC reported the ceremony.