Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt

It may be from the fact that The Goonies was one of my favorite movies growing up, but I love treasure hunts and puzzles. This is one event that I’d been wanting to do for years but always seemed to forget about it until a week or so after the event. Not this year!
It was a team of two of us, and since it was our first time, we went with the Beginner’s level. It was doable with just the two of us and we finished on time, but I imagine that we would have solved a number of the puzzles sooner if we had one more mind or two behind us. Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun. Also, talk about a workout. I think I logged like 7 or 8 miles during the treasure hunt.
The fee to do the treasure hunt is pretty steep (better if you get it ahead of time), but well worth it because the event is fun and the proceeds go to charity. Definitely plan on doing this again next year.

PRETTY SURE THEY SOLD OUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO JUNK MAIL COMPANIES.
THAT IS NOT COOL.
Our niece was visiting us and used our SF address to signup for the hunt. Now we are getting junk mail for her at our address. This is the only company that ever had her associated with our address.

Our group of 4 did the Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt for the first time this year and finished all but one of the clues with a couple minutes to spare before the 9pm deadline (and for completion, we did the last one after turning in our score sheet).
Before we started, we agreed our goal was to finish but that we weren’t going to run from clue to clue or go crazy. And of course, with 30 minutes left on the clock, we ended up running from clue to clue in a frenzy. Overall it was a lot of fun and we’ll probably be back next year.
Pros:
* You learn way more than you ever wanted to about street names and locations, Chinatown alleys, and other parts of the course
* It’s great exercise
* You can catch parts of the parade if you time it right
* The team name puns are hilarious
* The meaty part of the clue is usual somewhat fun (pro), but the rest of the clue is hunting around for letters or words that don’t have any relevance or educational qualities other than to make sure you didn’t guess the answer (con).
* Many of the clues have multiple interpretations. While some might consider this a negative, I actually like it, as long as there is clearly one right answer in the end.
Cons:
* It’s kinda expensive (though at least it goes to charity)
* The team name contest closes several days before the hunt, which seems unnecessary and saddens those teams who register afterwards (like us).
* For most clues, there are tons of other people there which can often make the answer obvious and less rewarding.
Don’t plan on winning unless you’re an Olympic sprinter, as the winning team finish times are unreal. At least if we do it next year we know that in advance and can have more fun without trying to win. Good luck!

It would have been better if the answers to the clues had been something with more historical or cultural significance.
Fun nonetheless. Even more fun if you know people on other teams and you can brag that you beat them :)

Ah, the curse of the Chinese New Year Parade — it ALWAYS rains. Well, not *always* but prob a good 80% of the time… this translates to it ALWAYS raining at Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt (since they’re on the same night)
Even so, it’s way too much fun to even *think* about not doing it
Clues are super hard (for us) & there’s only so much time to solve everything… but I’m getting ahead of myself
Pay the Treasure Hunt Fee (it goes to charity!); Pick up your Clues; Open them at the anointed hour; then you’re off to the races to solve the riddles, plot them on your map, strategize how you’ll get to all the «solution» locations; FIND the solutions; note them down & turn in your Solution Sheet before the 9pm deadline
Dodging people around Chinatown & North Beach, listening to the New Year celebration firecrackers, trying to best your competition & oh yeah… you can’t cross the Parade route. (We’ve been stuck before & had to find a way around) Totally an Indiana Jones kind of night!!!
Winner gets bragging rights… and a cake
We’ve been Treasure Hunters for at least 7 – 8 yrs & we’ve never won the cake. Heck, we’ve NEVER gotten out of the Beginner’s Level & we’ve never solved & located all the solutions… if this tells you anything but we happily keep coming back
It is a TON OF FUN!
Driving rain & bitter cold prevented us from a full-​on participation in this year’s event, however, our Year Of The Rabbit team (Show Me The Bunny!) gathered downtown, retrieved our clues then retreated to the warm, dry climates of The Plant Café Organic to solve our clue set & plot our map.
This was the first year ever that we had been hampered by the weather. We thought we’d be well prepared for the onslaught but this yr for some reason was just brutal — too bad!
A few of us did venture out the following sunny morning to start tracking down the solved clue locations & verify our team sleuthing skills. Have to say so far they were 100% accurate… hooray for us!
Next year (Year of the Dragon) better watch out! We’re currently accepting suggestions for team names…

I had so much fun! And so did my teammates. 5 of the 6 of us were first-​timers, so were Beginner all the way. It was still tough enough we had to think through it, but not so hard we were frustrated for four hours.
Things I learned for next time:
— Have some friends hold a table at a nearby coffee shop so you can plot your route indoors (always rains on CNY parade)
— Get a helmet flashlight!
— It’s nice to have some city-​dwellers, but newbies contribute to the riddles too
— Have a plan… we were randomly looking through clues and no one was writing anything down. Took us about 90 minutes in what should have taken 30… although part of that was cold and wet delay!
I’m already planning to be back next year!

The Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt is the best fun ever. Think you are smart? You will find that your team knows things you haven’t thought of — that is the goal.
As others have described, form a team, register and chip in a donation for each year’s charity. Get your clues and go for it!
We have gotten about 12 – 14 of the clues in the intermediate about an hour after the leaders. So be prepared for genius competitors. The fun is the hunt and managing team dynamics.
Suggest if it is your first to join a team with some previous competitors. Be sure everybody has the same goal: kill to win, see the sights, stop for drinks, run, walk or tarry, there is no right answer, but agree whatever.
Plenty of flashlight battery power and team secret communications are key.
The Chinese New Year Parade goes right through much of the hunt boundaries, so the trick is to plot your route you don’t have to cross the parade route. We have had just crazy experiences, including one teammate finding a large quantity of cash, though that wasn’t part of the hunt, just and accident.
Plan an after party celebration, it’s an intense experience!

This is by far one of my favorite Bay Area local events! Too bad the lunar new year is just once a year…
What I just love about this event is that it’s brought me closer to some of my friends, as the level of teamwork and communication is high, but when you mix in the feeling of comraderie (especially when we do something right) it’s just awesome. And it’s amazing to explore the streets of San Francisco while the parade is going on.
I’m sorry if some reviewers here have run into (or been run into by) a rude participant, but in my five years of participating in the Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt in San Francisco, I’ve only met and witnessed a **hugely positive** activity even for the non-​participants around us. They always seem to smile when they see our headlamps and flashlights, and some even ask, «Hey, are you a part of that big treasure hunt?»
I suggest checking out the pictures people upload to Flickr at:
Looking forward to Year of the Rabbit hunt in 2011!

This is from someone who has been living around the area. The Idea is nice and most of the participants are courteous, Then there are the RUDE in a hurry TYPE-​A Doofus’s.I really can’t believe that some of these idiots are so self absorbed they don’t notice being RUDE to an OLD LADY. This pissed me off, then I went a little further and saw them pushing their way through like everyone is supposed to be part of their big game. Then the nosey peolpe looking for god who knows what,.I realize that is the intent, but they do not realize how they can effect the lives of others. This is true for some of the flash mobs also, but I would not give this event that kind of rating they are more well behaved except for the apathy for the old and disabled. Whine Whine Whine. now time for some cheese. I like Whine and cheese.

Yay! I’ve been waiting all year to try it and it finally came. Overall, it was fun but I probably will not do it again.
For the nitty gritty of why I probably won’t, read the following:
–The answers were mainly names on plaques on the ground: architects, installers. A bit disappointing as that’s not exactly something exciting to learn about San Francisco.
–Expensive: $ 30 to spend 1 – 4 hours running around.
–Hecklers: not really the treasure hunt’s fault. But there were annoying hecklers that made me wonder, «wtf are you doing here?» Apparently they were there for the glory of winning; they placed first in the advanced division.
–It’s so popular that there are a lot of hunters. So even if a team has no idea, they can follow the crowd. But keep in mind, this happens with red herrings too. Also, make sure to whisper to your teammates, otherwise other people (namely, me) will use your information.
On the PLUS side:
+Supports charity.
+Fun way to spend a weekend night in which I normally do nothing.
+Learned that behind my office building is where the Vigilance Committee used to meet.
+Explored a part of town I rarely go (North Beach) and it made me want to try Stella Pastry Café.
+Sense of accomplishment from solving all the clues, although not all the answers. (Beginner’s Hunt.)
+Four hours of fun. Unless you’re advanced, then it’s an hour of fun. Some people were in full running gear to complete it in an hour.
Tip: Definitely take time before embarking on the hunt to go over each clue as a group, and map a route while keeping the Chinese parade in mind. We spent our first hour doing this. Definitely made it easier in the end.

Did this for the first time this year. It was a lot of fun. You start by attempting to solve the given clues and then you run around Chinatown and the surrounding areas to find the answers your’e looking for. It includes a lot of running/​walking/​dodging and attempting to get across the parade routes without getting caught. It’s a good way to learn about little known areas/​facts around SF.

This is an annual event for me, (third year in a row) and thanks Justin, for first introducing me! I’m hooked and just can’t get enough. I look forward to this hunt every February, which takes place rain or shine. The treasure hunt, to me, is a combo of a Scavenger Hunt meets ‘Amazing Race’ and is such a mental and physical exercise! It’s held on the same evening as the Chinese New Year Parade in downtown SF (through the Financial District, Chinatown and North Beach). You may have to pass through the parade route to get to your destinations (so be careful of the swarms of people, yellow tape, fireworks, poppers, and the crowd!) The theme of the hunt is always based on the zodiac animal of the Chinese New Year, and this one is the Year of the Ox. There’s a competition for creative team names and even costumes. The hunt is divided into levels: Beginners, Regular, and Advanced; and are given under 5 hours to complete the hunt. Winners receive a cake, bottle of champagne!
As for the hunt, you get a team of about 6 or so members, and receive a packed of 18 or so clues that lead you to the location of the answers, which can be found on the top of a building, sidewalk, storefront or window display, etc.,. The clues can be tricky, but it is all about team input, and important not to overthink (which is difficult). Eg ’ Where California meets a seasonal street, you’ll get some high fives. Head from there towards a sign of US to reach the stage to home: there’s lots to see there; what is the Point to the left of the scale?‘
OK, so this year, I couldn’t have asked for better weather (no torrential downpours nor crazy winds), and more importantly a better team! Our ‘no named OX’ team absolutely rocked! Thanks to Amy, Katie, Greg, and Stacy for being so awesome. Our teamwork and strategy allowed us to successfully finish under the allotted time for the first time ever! Climbing up the crazy hills, walking in those alleys, and crossing the parade route and avoiding the fire crackers and floats was definitely harrowing! Damn, that ‘flanking the loon’ clue that took us so friggin long to find! GRR! Thank goodness, we had the half time break to drink a beer and snack on the delish fries at Irish Bank to recharge! My only regret is our post-​hunt celebration, but overall, it was a fantastic hunt, and cannot wait until next year.
I have a few suggestions for improving this hunt:
— Registration is about $ 30 (early) and day of is $ 40. It’s a bit pricey!
— Starting on time at exactly 4:30. I wasn’t digging waiting until all of the award winners were announced. Everyone is ancy and just wants the hunt to begin!
— Better prizes. Sure, everyone likes cake and champagne, but how about medals or something worth keeping?
–Staggering the race so that 4 – 6 groups are not all at the same location.

Highlights:
— Dodging crowds of people who are wandering the streets of Chinatown
— Waiting for a break in the parade and then sprinting across
— Finding the small details of SF that are usually passed by (plaques, statues, etc)
— Eating the key shaped cake and drinking champion champagne. That’s right, my team won two years!

Love, love, love this. If you’re going to do it, make sure everyone on your team agrees about what’s appropriate behavior. (Sprinting up the coit tower stairs with a tri-​athlete really irritated some of the team members a few years ago.) It’s a fun time and an excuse to notice little details about our city that are usually overlooked. And, you get to use a flashlight!

We have done the hunt the last 3 – 4 years and it is always a GREAT time! Last year it was pouring for almost the entire hunt but that didn’t dampen our spirits! I can’t wait for this year!
PS — We won best team name and costume too last year! I never thought that would happen in a million billion years. The participants (and my 3 teammates) are sooo much more creative than me! That honor should go on my headstone since I came up with the name! Aim high kids, aim high!

Fun even in the rain and cold.

I’m a Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt junkie. I’ve done this 5 years straight now, and I’m always so disappointed when it’s all over and I have to wait another year. It’s all I can think about for days. Seriously.
About 2,000 people show up. And the team names all have something to do with that year’s zodiacal symbol. For instance some of our team names have been The Horse You Rodent On and Boar Cowbell. (Unfortunately it’s well known that the funniest names never win — honestly I’m not saying that because we’ve never won the name competition!) Some people even dress up. We’re not that motivated. We’re all about the Hunt part.
You get a packet of 20 or so clues, each leading you to an address or intersection (thankfully a list of all the streets and alleys in treasure hunt area is included). The clue examples look pretty daunting online, but I assure you when you’re looking at them with a group of people someone’s bound to figure out the answer. Also, you’re spending more time trying to solve them than just the 5 seconds it takes to read them online.
What I’m saying is, the clues are not as hard as they look. And I know this because our team is the reigning first place Masters team. Yay! We’d be surprised to repeat it this year though. Some people in the Masters group are really serious about the Hunt. One team even got a room at the Hyatt to work on clues and do research on laptops, and then before the Hunt they PHOTOGRAPHED EVERY HISTORICAL LANDMARK PLAQUE IN THE HUNT AREA. Crazy! I think they were a little disappointed when we won after telling them it was our first time doing the Masters hunt (after previous years doing the Beginners and Intermediate Hunts) and we just hung out in a friend’s workplace cubicle to do our deciphering.
Anyway, it’s a lot of fun trying to figure out the clues — it’s a fun aha! moment when you solve them. Then you map out your route and spend the rest of the evening hurrying to each location to solve the rest of the puzzle. At each site there’s a word to find (the rest of each clue hints at where to find them).
The Chinese New Year Parade brings an extra element of difficulty. It’s best to plan your route around it. At some point you will end up on one side of the parade route and you’ll need to get to the other. We’ve run through the middle of the parade, though one year we lost some team members (it took us a half hour to get re-​connected). It’s pretty cool traversing the parade route at night like an undercover detective, being the only people not actually watching the parade.
Ways to Improve the Hunt:
The prizes. I know I shouldn’t complain, but I really wish the prizes consisted of free tickets to next year’s hunt (or at least books or gift cards). Instead you get a tasteless sheet cake in the shape of a key that we end up leaving for the homeless and a bottle of champagne (unfortunately many of us don’t drink).
Ordering tickets. The company that takes ticket orders charges a $ 5 processing fee per order. They charged me the processing fee TWICE for the same order because I split our tickets between two credit cards. I was assured I’d only be charged $ 5 once. I called and complained to no avail. At least the ticket money (though not the STUPID PROCESSING FEE) goes to charity.
Swarms of people at the places the clue sites. There are too many people at the clue sites. It ruins the fun in finding the hidden words. It’s ridiculously bad for the Beginners clues. Even though only about 20 teams are in the Masters division, they still go to clue sites used by the Intermediate division so there are still too many people.
Clue packets are passed out early. The clue packets are passed out an hour ahead of the Hunt. Although I haven’t seen anyone cheat (and how could I keep track of all 2000 people?), I don’t like that this is a possibility.

My wife and I have done this for the last three years and it’s all the fun, local history lesson and adventure it’s cracked up to be. Toss in the Chinese New Years Parade, lots of people and firecrackers and it’s a great night to be out on the streets. We’ve gone with another couple, with a group and then by ourselves and they’ve all worked although in too big of a group it can sometimes be tough to get everyone on the same page.
Did finally figure out what works best for us. Get the clues, google everything, mark the map and head out in a direction that allows you to see some of the parade, find some locations (not all of them unless you’re really serious) and end up in a North Beach restaurant for a great dinner. Reservations recommended.

The Chinese New Year Parade is great, but the Treasure Hunt is much better since it is active entertainment, a challenge both mentally and physically.
After opening your clues, you should figure them all out and plot an efficient route, taking special care to remember where the hills are located. Then you go and try not to get run over.
Great fun! If you win, you get a bottle of domestic bubbly (something from Domaine Chandon in our case), a certificate and a cake in the shape of a key.

Our very own amazing race. For 35 – 40 bucks you can join or create your own team of 4 – 8 to do the beginner, regular, or master’s 4+ hour treasure hunt. As soon as everyone opened up their clues, you saw groups of people huddled throughout the Embarcadero Center nerdily strategizing and mapping out their next move. The well-​organized teams (those that assigned tasks, wore team costumes, and had whistles/​code words) probably did the best. Our Shui Mai the Money team didn’t do half bad for our first beginners hunt but would have done even better if we hadn’t gotten stuck in the Chinese New Year’s Parade mosh pit. T’was exhilarating running around the city — Chinatown, Union Square, North Beach, and FiDi– in search of clues. We knew we were hot on the trail when we saw groups of people thinking, peering, and poking around in front of a building or cold on the trail when we saw no one. It’s a community event because locals not part of the hunt would ask us what was going on & even tried to help us out with directions (one bum said — i saw everyone going over there!) or in solving the silly worded clues even though it really wasn’t a life threatening situation.