"It is necessary for us to build our Facebook page to communicate and interact with overseas Chinese, and other Internet users," Yuan told China Daily, adding that the open-house event provides an opportunity to meet with their Facebook followers. "We are the first Chinese consulate to open a Facebook account and ranked 1st in population of Facebook fans among all countries' consulates in San Francisco," said Yuan. So far, there are more than 11,000 fans following the consulate's Facebook page. The messages posted on the page cover a wide range of fields. "We focus on Chinese culture, society, and key messages about bilateral relations between China and the US," said Yuan, adding that they also introduce Chinese food and traditional festivals to followers.