Related Articles Things to do this week in NYC Feb 6-Feb 13: Music Things to do this week in NYC Feb 6-Feb 13: Outdoor Activities Things to do this week in NYC Feb 6-Feb 13: Cultural Arts Most Popular Articles on CGNY Valentine's Day in New York City: The Big Apple's Most Romantic Restaurants How to Spend Valentine's Day 2010 in New York City Celebrate Black History Month in Harlem Cultural arts in Chinatown quick links: Museum of Chinese in the Americas. Dining in Chinatown quick links: Shanghai Cuisine.Since the days of the Dutch and the British, Manhattan has always been a haven for immigrants. One of the most enduring immigrant communities, since the late 1870s, is Chinatown. Here, the traditional Chinese culture is so deeply embedded that the neighborhood has maintained an aura of China's past rather than its industrial present. Everyone thinks of Chinatown when the Chinese Lunar New Year rolls around in February, but outside of dim sum and firecrackers and dragon dances, it’s a mystery to most New Yorkers. The Museum of Chinese in the Americas is the perfect place to begin an exploration of Chinatown. Dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history and culture of Chinese and their descendants in the Western Hemisphere, MoCA is a repository of unusual and unique items, from rare papers to priceless artifacts, which are indispensable for understanding this community. Buddhism is the prevalent religion of Chinatown. Tucked in a small storefront at 64 Mott Street is the Eastern States Buddhist Temple of America (212-966-6229). Founded in 1962, it is the oldest Chinese Buddhist temple on the East Coast. Leave a $1 donation to get a small fortune scroll. Across from the Manhattan Bridge at Canal Street is the Mahayana Buddhist Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Chinatown. Inside is a 16-foot-high golden Buddha that may be the largest in NYC. Chatham Square, at the intersection of East Broadway & Bowery, is home to the Kim Lau Memorial Arch, erected in 1962 in memory of the Chinese Americans who died in World War II, along with a statue of Lin Ze Xu, appointed by the Emperor of China in 1838 to eradicate opium in China. Just north of Chatham Square at Canal St. & Bowery is Confucius Plaza, where a statue of the famous philosopher displays some of his sayings in both Chinese and English. Of course, food is the major attraction of Chinatown. Restaurants abound, offering dim sum, Chinese and Vietnamese noodle soup, Shanghai cuisine, and more. There's the famous Peking Duck House, whose namesake specialty dish is widely regarded as among Chinatown’s best. Shanghai Cuisine offers the best Shanghai soup dumpling in the city, according to Gourmet. For a classic Chinatown eatery (since 1938), try Wo Hop. For nouvelle dim sum in a more modern setting, try Dim Sum Go-Go.Taste of Chinatown has become one of the most anticipated events in New York City, drawing food fans from around the world. Twice a year (usually April and October), grab a tasting map, stroll along the streets closed to traffic, and sample $1 and $2 tasting plates from over 50 restaurants, teahouses, bakeries, and specialty-food shops.Looking for more of a snack than a meal? Ten Ren Tea & Ginseng Co. is the place to go for tea, imported from China and Taiwan, as well as tea-related goods. Their Ten Ren Tea Time is the place for bubble tea, a trendy concoction of tea, chewy tapioca "bubbles," and flavors from plain ol' black tea to green apple and lychee. Aji Ichiban is a snack-store chain with a decidedly Asian twist: besides the oddly shaped Japanese gummy candies, they also offer mandarin peel, preserved lemon and plum, chili olives, fried and shredded squid, and other strange delights. There are small bowls of samples for most items, so you can "try before you buy."See Chinatown before we have come to know it on Walking Tours With Jami Gong (by registration only: www.chinatownnyc.com), Wed. at 9 a.m. Mr. Gong is the only licensed tour guide, and native resident, specializing only in Chinatown.For more information on Chinatown, you can also visit www.explorechinatown.com. -- Alan Binenstock Archives: Today's Family & Kids Activites in Queens-Feb 9 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Brooklyn-Feb 9 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Bronx-Feb 9 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Manhattan-Feb 9 Happenings at B. Smith's Restaurant in New York City Grand Central Oyster Bar Presents Chablis Pairing Dinner on Tuesday, Feb. 16th Grand Central Oyster Bar Offers Valentine's Day Prelude Menu on Saturday, Feb. 13th Today's Family & Kids Activites in Queens-Feb 8 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Brooklyn-Feb 8 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Bronx-Feb 8 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Manhattan-Feb 8 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Queens-Feb 7 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Brooklyn-Feb 7 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Bronx-Feb 7 Today's Family & Kids Activites in Manhattan-Feb 7
Cultural arts in Chinatown quick links: Museum of Chinese in the Americas. Dining in Chinatown quick links: Shanghai Cuisine.Since the days of the Dutch and the British, Manhattan has always been a haven for immigrants. One of the most enduring immigrant communities, since the late 1870s, is Chinatown. Here, the traditional Chinese culture is so deeply embedded that the neighborhood has maintained an aura of China's past rather than its industrial present. Everyone thinks of Chinatown when the Chinese Lunar New Year rolls around in February, but outside of dim sum and firecrackers and dragon dances, it’s a mystery to most New Yorkers. The Museum of Chinese in the Americas is the perfect place to begin an exploration of Chinatown. Dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history and culture of Chinese and their descendants in the Western Hemisphere, MoCA is a repository of unusual and unique items, from rare papers to priceless artifacts, which are indispensable for understanding this community. Buddhism is the prevalent religion of Chinatown. Tucked in a small storefront at 64 Mott Street is the Eastern States Buddhist Temple of America (212-966-6229). Founded in 1962, it is the oldest Chinese Buddhist temple on the East Coast. Leave a $1 donation to get a small fortune scroll. Across from the Manhattan Bridge at Canal Street is the Mahayana Buddhist Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Chinatown. Inside is a 16-foot-high golden Buddha that may be the largest in NYC. Chatham Square, at the intersection of East Broadway & Bowery, is home to the Kim Lau Memorial Arch, erected in 1962 in memory of the Chinese Americans who died in World War II, along with a statue of Lin Ze Xu, appointed by the Emperor of China in 1838 to eradicate opium in China. Just north of Chatham Square at Canal St. & Bowery is Confucius Plaza, where a statue of the famous philosopher displays some of his sayings in both Chinese and English. Of course, food is the major attraction of Chinatown. Restaurants abound, offering dim sum, Chinese and Vietnamese noodle soup, Shanghai cuisine, and more. There's the famous Peking Duck House, whose namesake specialty dish is widely regarded as among Chinatown’s best. Shanghai Cuisine offers the best Shanghai soup dumpling in the city, according to Gourmet. For a classic Chinatown eatery (since 1938), try Wo Hop. For nouvelle dim sum in a more modern setting, try Dim Sum Go-Go.Taste of Chinatown has become one of the most anticipated events in New York City, drawing food fans from around the world. Twice a year (usually April and October), grab a tasting map, stroll along the streets closed to traffic, and sample $1 and $2 tasting plates from over 50 restaurants, teahouses, bakeries, and specialty-food shops.Looking for more of a snack than a meal? Ten Ren Tea & Ginseng Co. is the place to go for tea, imported from China and Taiwan, as well as tea-related goods. Their Ten Ren Tea Time is the place for bubble tea, a trendy concoction of tea, chewy tapioca "bubbles," and flavors from plain ol' black tea to green apple and lychee. Aji Ichiban is a snack-store chain with a decidedly Asian twist: besides the oddly shaped Japanese gummy candies, they also offer mandarin peel, preserved lemon and plum, chili olives, fried and shredded squid, and other strange delights. There are small bowls of samples for most items, so you can "try before you buy."See Chinatown before we have come to know it on Walking Tours With Jami Gong (by registration only: www.chinatownnyc.com), Wed. at 9 a.m. Mr. Gong is the only licensed tour guide, and native resident, specializing only in Chinatown.For more information on Chinatown, you can also visit www.explorechinatown.com. -- Alan Binenstock
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