Happy Birthday, Penny Wong! San Francisco's 1st Miss Chinatown turns 100 years old!

MILLBRAE, Calif. (KGO) -- Penny Wong, the trailblazing first-ever Miss Chinatown, marked a remarkable milestone this weekend - celebrating her 100th birthday! She was surrounded by generations of family, friends, and community members at a festive gathering in Millbrae on Saturday.

Wong, who made history by winning the inaugural Miss Chinatown pageant in 1948, was honored Sunday at Hong Kong Palace restaurant, where more than 100 guests joined her to celebrate her centenarian status. The event featured the West Coast Lion Dance troupe, and a performance by the beloved Grant Avenue Follies, and a tribute to Wong's enduring legacy as a cultural icon and love of Chinatown.

Wong was recently profiled by ABC7 News as the pageant she helped launch undergoes a modernization. The Miss Chinatown pageant, back in Penny's day focused heavily on traditional beauty standards, is now modernizing to reflect a broader, more inclusive vision of Asian American identity.

The swimsuit competition is gone, and instead, organizers say they want to empower more young Chinese American women through culture and leadership.

PREVIOUS STORY: SF's 1st-ever Miss Chinatown, Penny Wong, prepares for 100th birthday celebration

Penny Wong, the very first Miss Chinatown, is about to mark a major milestone: her 100th birthday.

As for Penny's secret to her long life?

Wong told ABC7 News anchor Dion Lim it was to exercise daily and to "make every day a party"! Happy Birthday, Penny!