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The name for this sharp curve on Doyers Street was coined by a newspaper because this was the site of so many gangland ambushes during the 1920s. It was a period when the Hip Sing and On Leong tongs , groups similar to criminal gangs, were fighting for control of the opium trade and gambling rackets in Chinatown. The tong wars continued off and on until at least the 1940s, and their rivalries continue in the present-day youth gangs.

Chinatown’s only park was created in the late 1890s as a result of the campaigning of newspaper reporter Jacob Riis and other social reformers. It filled a stretch of the city that at the time was New York’s worst slum, where Riis reported a stabbing or shooting at least once a week. Though it features more concrete than greenery, the park is popular today, filled with Chinese kids at play, mah jong players, and people practicing tai chi and martial arts. On the weekends, Chinese fortune-tellers sometimes set up shop in the park.

Step into the incense-scented interior, where offerings of fresh fruit are piled high, and more than 100 gold Buddhas gleam in the candlelight. The temple takes advantage of Chinatown’s tourist traffic by offering $1 fortunes for sale near the front.

Originally known as Quong Yeun Shing & Company, this is the oldest store in Chinatown, established in 1891. The store was a social hub for Chinese men, who were not allowed to bring their wives to the U.S. under old immigration laws.

Clustered on this block are shops with a wonderful selection of Chinese goods. China Silk and Handicrafts has vases, figurines, bowls, tea sets, and Buddhas by the dozen. Lamps made from attractive Oriental vases are the specialty of Pearl of the Orient Gallery, while New Age Designer makes clothing to order in your choice of jewel-hued silks. Serious antiques collectors should head to the Sinotique Gallery.

Small but fascinating, this first floor museum, devoted to the Chinese experience in the West, features an exhibit called “Where is Home?,” with personal stories, photographs, and poetry culled from the community. Among the topics explored are women’s roles, religion, and the “bachelor society.” Changing exhibits range from art to the experience of gay Chinese. Books, area guides, and free flyers on cultural events are available.