New York City Chinatown

The colorful, vibrant mosaic of Chinatown is sight enough for most tourists, and there are plenty of cheap restaurants and eclectic ultra-discount shops to last you a few days. Explore a bit further, though, and you'll find fascinating museums and memorials evoking a very distant past.

MUSEUM OF CHINESE IN AMERICA (MOCA), 215 Centre St. (www.mocanyc.org), This sleek, small museum traces the history of Chinese immigrants throughout the United States, not merely New York City. Video installations, hundreds of reproduced and displayed documents, and a handful of artifacts all contribute to a study of discrimination, stereotyping, and inequality. Try lifting the 8-pound iron used by immigrants while laundering. $7, students $4, Th free. Open M 11am-5pm, Th 11am-9pm, F 11am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-5pm.
MAHAYANA BUDDHIST TEMPLE, 133 Canal St. Once a porn theater, this massive building by the Manhattan Bridge now houses one of Chinatown's most sacred spaces. Twin lions guard a red door, beyond which incense and calm prevail. A huge 20 ft. Buddha (said to be the largest in the city) adorns the auditorium, which is usually scattered with worshipers. It's a mind-bending change to the city bustle outside; in fact you can make it your first or last stop, as the Fung Wah bus stops just outside the doors. No shorts or sleeveless shirts. Open daily 10am-6pm.
FIRST SHEARITH ISRAEL GRAVEYARD, South side of Chatham Sq. on St. James Pl. The Spanish-Portuguese Shearith Israel Synagogue was founded here in 1654, serving some of the city's first immigrants. It was the only synagogue in the city until 1825 and so served all of the young city's Jews for almost two centuries. Its graveyard is all that remains, and it's fascinating even though you have to stand on tiptoe to peer through its perpetually closed gate. Some graves date back to the 1600s--a reminder that the neighborhood's current vivacity hides a rich and surprisingly long history.