Chinatown in Manhattan

Author: (US-based) Yingzi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-02-01
Features: In the small town of Manhattan in Kansas, central USA, many Chinese students suddenly arrived, forming a "Chinese Village" where Chinese people gathered together. After traveling thousands of miles and crossing the ocean, the students faced sudden changes in their living conditions and the impact of a foreign culture. The sense of community and cohesion within the village gradually weakened, leading to a tragic trilogy of "gathering—conflict—separation." The novel focuses on the joys and sorrows of four families in the "Chinese Village." Ke Yue and Lao Xiong moved first from Canada to Manhattan, and later they brought over Guo Yang, the wife of Lu Yiming, and An Yi, the wife of Jian Fa. After some time, Ren Qi also returned from China to marry his wife. The four families lived together, relying on and helping each other. But problems still arose: Jian Fa, unable to obtain his degree or find a job for a long time, became discouraged and turned to religion. In disappointment, An Yi had to separate from him. Yiming, under immense academic and work pressure, became emotionally numb and even distorted, leading to his wife Guo Yang falling for an American man named Sam. Ren Qi joyfully brought back a beautiful wife from China, but just after their honeymoon, she ran off with a rich man. On the other hand, Ke Yue and Lao Xiong were deeply in love, but their fellow villagers in the "Chinese Village" constantly "bothered" them, speaking ill of them and making judgments. Unable to tolerate such selfishness and narrow-mindedness, they decided to move again. In the final chapter of the novel, all four families left Manhattan, and the "Chinese Village" no longer existed.