New York Trip: We are everywhere - Chinatown

I remember when I was young, my mom has told me a saying which sounds something like: "Wherever the sun shines, there will be Chinese". At that time, I totally believe it, although now I have a bit of reserve like what about artic and antartic? But still, it is a pretty convincing statement, and you have to admit chinese are indeed all around the world...

I first learned that New York City has 5 Boroughs from my Manager when he knows I am visiting the big apple, and the most popular one no doubt is Manhattan. The remaining are Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Staten Island (which you have to take a ferry to reach). I am not sure if it is right to say that there is a sort-a Chinatown in each borough but at least, I have seen 3 such a place, and of these 3 chinese communities, the largest is in Manhattan, which is the "Real" Chinatown...

To start with, one of the most noticeable landmark is this...

Our historic icon as well as a family with most connected descendents, Confucious. This statue stands in front of a huge residence call the Confucious building and is definitely a very nice location as it is just next to one of the bridges connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn which means one big side of the building has got amazing river view! And the residence are ALL Chinese..

I find the chinatown in Manhattan truely "chinatown" because it actually makes you feel like you are standing in a Hong Kong street or Shanghai street if there is no Caucasians or other races around.

All the sign boards are printed in Mandarin or Cantonese and some don't even bother printing English.. (O.o)


Everywhere you go, there is a huge chinese crowd, the only thing that doesn't feels right is probably the kids? Once they open their mouth, you know they are ABCs...

And to add another line to my mom's phrase, "Wherever the Sun shines, there will be Chinese; When there are Chinese, there will be Dim Sum!"
One of Manhattan oldest Dim Sum place, it was there when my mom was there like 15 years ago. And the food is good no doubt, I missed the stew beef sooo soo much!!!

Chinatown in Singapore and Malaysia looks like a joke after making this visit. But I guess you really have to be in a foreign culture, to be able to really appreciate a Real Chinese community. I wonder how European Chinatown looks like...

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One of the things I enjoy seeing the most is these kind of buildingsm with a metal staircase build outside as fire escape. It is pretty unique to this City i notice. Not just in Chinatown, but many other places...

According to my dad, this is mostly due to all these buildings has been build way before all the safety guidelines has been put into the rules and laws. Again, we are looking at things that are more than hundred year old... And still standing firmly, truely impressive...