Columbus Park in Chinatown, New York was created in 1897, but since 2013, the park has served as a gathering place for the local Chinese community, where the neighbourhood meets up to play mahjong, perform traditional Chinese music and practise tai chi in the early mornings.

In this recording from 2019, the park is filled with mostly elderly members of the Chinese community meeting up to socialise. We can hear a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, and tables filled with people playing mah jong to pass the afternoon. 

Recorded by Cities and Memory.

Part of the Migration Sounds project, the world’s first collection of the sounds of human migration. 

For more information and to explore the project, see https://www.citiesandmemory.com/migration