Chinatown Explored

No neighborhood displays the contrasting dynamism of New York City more so than Chinatown.  Our tour starts with the history of Five Points when Chinatown was first home to the Irish in the 19^th century.  As a district, no slum was poorer, more decrepit, or more dangerous.  It was near here that the Chinese, facing discrimination elsewhere, were forced to settle.  This tour will explain how from this humble beginning, Chinatown has transformed into a vibrant community of doctors, lawyers, waiters and entrepreneurs.  We’ll pay special attention to the various immigrant waves from different regions of China that have changed the face of Chinatown over the past 150 years.

With this in mind, we’ll visit notable sites to review defining points in Chinatown’s history, which include Transfiguration Church, the scholarly statue of Confucius, the Manhattan Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge Plaza, and the On Leong building.  We’ll also get to see the landmark Bowery Savings Bank building, Edward Mooney house (the oldest remaining townhouse in New York), as well as Chatham Square (where an arch commemorates the sacrifices made by Chinese Americans in defense of America’s freedom and democracy). 

As with any culture, nothing is more important than its food.  Because the Cantonese were the first to immigrate to New York from China and because they remain the dominant group in Chinatown, this tour will appropriately end with delicious Cantonese dim sum, which is a traditional meal of many small dishes.  Your tour guide will preorder the dishes to ensure your taste buds receive an authentic and traditional meal.  Please note that these dishes will include seafood, pork, chicken and beef and that dietary restrictions would be difficult to accommodate.

While the tour ends here, the fun doesn’t!  On offer as a free service, we’ll introduce and package a different experience for you to do on your own after your tour.  We’ll show you other attractions and popular activities that you can do including a traditional Chinese massage, a museum or to any of a number of other great restaurants that you can go to for dinner.

Special Note: