This site started back in Jan/Feb 2002 as a way of visually documenting NYC Chinatown when I had the chance to do so. It was post-Sept 11 2001, a particularly trying period for all New Yorkers, and not to mention the economic recession faced by countless thousands, myself included.

At that time, I wanted to know a little more about Chinatown, and also I wanted to create a useful resource for people to use on the Internet. So with a borrowed camera in hand, I began wandering the streets photographing the neighborhood, its landmarks, and familiarized myself with the various complex issues at the heart of the community. Needless to say, it was both satisfying, and disappointing experience at the same time. Satisfying because I learned a bit more about Chinatown--as a tourist--but disappointing because trying to get into the heart of the community ultimately proved difficult due to being an outsider, me being chinese, but not being able to speak much chinese, and viewed suspiciously because I wanted to photograph what nobody else wanted to photograph.

Hopefully I hope this website will prove useful to you. I have included maps, photos, and a bit of text. I hope to delve deeper into certain issues in the future. If there are any questions, comments, feedback, or if there are any features you would like to see on the website in the future, e·mail me at