Columbus Park (Manhattan)
Columbus Park formerly known as Mulberry Bend Park, Five Points Park and Paradise Park, is a public park in Chinatown, Manhattan, in New York City. During the 19th century, this was the most dangerous ghetto area of immigrant New York, as portrayed in the book and film Gangs of New York. Back then, the park's site was part of the Five Points neighborhood, in the area known as Mulberry Bend, hence its alternative names. It was renamed Columbus Park in 1911, in honor of Christopher Columbus. Today, the park often serves as a gathering place for the local Chinese community, where "the neighborhood meets up here to play mahjong, perform traditional Chinese music... practice tai chi in the early mornings."
In 2019, the statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen by Lu Chun-Hsiung and Michael Kang was permanently installed in the northern plaza of the park. The plaza was also renamed for the founder of the first Republic of China, who lived in Manhattan's Chinatown for a time.
