top cities to visit in the us: Impressions of Manhattan, New York (illustrated)

The final leg of my North America tour was to visit Manhattan, New York, USA. On November 21, 2015, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time in New York, the team left the New York For your Safety Hotel where we were staying and began the final itinerary. That day, we would have a full day of sightseeing in Manhattan, New York.

Manhattan, New York (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Located in the northeastern part of the East Coast of the United States, New York is the core of the New York metropolitan area, the most populous city in the United States, and one of the largest cities in the world. It is also a multi-ethnic and diverse city with immigrants from 97 countries and regions, and 800 languages spoken here. As of 2012, New York had a population of approximately 8 million people living on 789 square kilometers of land.

Manhattan Architectural Landscape (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Manhattan is the most densely populated of the 5 boroughs of New York City, and also the smallest borough. Manhattan is mainly composed of a small island that is narrow east-west and long north-south, and is surrounded by the East River, Hudson River, and Harlem River.

Bridge over the Hudson River (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Manhattan is described as the economic and cultural center of the entire United States, the location of New York City’s central business district, the area with the most concentrated skyscrapers in the world, gathering the headquarters of one-third of the Fortune 500 companies, and also the location of the United Nations headquarters. Manhattan’s real estate market is also one of the most expensive places in the world.

Distant view of the Beijing sailboat (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Our trip to New York began with a boat ride on the Statue of Liberty ferry. The car stopped at the pier, where a large sailboat with ‘PEKING’ painted on its hull was very eye-catching. Since the transliteration above is Beijing, seeing an antique named after ‘Beijing’ in a foreign country was not only heartwarming but also intriguing. I couldn’t help but ask the tour guide about the origin of this ship.

Close view of the Peking sailboat (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Li Qi introduced: The steel-hulled four-masted barque Peking, sister ship of the Passat, was launched in 1911. Initially owned by F. Laeisz company of Hamburg, Germany, it was a so-called Flying P-Liner (referring to a series of cargo sailing ships with names beginning with P built by F. Laeisz company), and also one of the last generation of windjammers (referring to large steel commercial sailing ships from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, typically used for intercontinental bulk cargo transport), mainly used for the nitrate and wheat trade around Cape Horn. When World War I broke out, the “Peking” was in Valparaíso, Chile, and was naturally detained until after the war, then transferred to Italy as war reparations. In 1923, she was repurchased by her original owners, the Laeisz brothers; and continued to be used for nitrate trade until the Panama Canal route proved to be faster and more economical.

The cruise ship departs from the pier (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

In 1932, she was sold to “Shaftesbury Homes” for 6250 pounds. Then she was first towed to Greenhithe and renamed “Arethusa II”. In July 1933, she was moved again to her new permanent berth at Upnor on the River Medway, serving as a children’s home and training school.

Taking a photo with tourists on the cruise ship (Photography: Wang Jue)

On July 25, 1933, King George VI presided over the commissioning ceremony. During World War II, she was requisitioned by the British Royal Navy and renamed “HMS Pekin”. In 1975, “HMS Pekin” was decommissioned and purchased by Jack Aron, moored in New York, USA, as an exhibit ship at the South Street Seaport Museum.

Photo taken on the cruise ship (Photographer: Luo Youlin)

I really didn’t expect that this antique sailboat would have such a complicated history. Boarding the Statue of Liberty to start a tour around the island on the famous Hudson River, during the journey, the beautiful views of midtown and downtown Manhattan were completely unobstructed. On the ship’s broadcast, against the backdrop of beautiful melodies, a deep and friendly male voice played vivid introductions in multiple languages about the Statue of Liberty cruise on the Hudson River’s beautiful scenery, allowing tourists to not only understand clearly during the voyage but also leave a deep and wonderful impression.

Sightseeing plane at the pier (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

There is no better way to view the Statue of Liberty than by taking a cruise. People can choose to enjoy the breeze on the deck and take photos everywhere, or sit inside the cabin to enjoy New York’s landmark buildings, view the Statue of Liberty, and gaze at the New Jersey skyline from afar. The Statue of Liberty approaches from a distance and then gradually fades away. The Statue of Liberty, holding a torch high in the air, looking forward with a graceful posture, is captured in unforgettable moments every day by countless tourists from all over the world with their cameras, mobile phones, or video cameras.

Gazing at the Statue of Liberty (Photo by: Feng Ganyong)

The Statue of Liberty, also known as “Liberty Enlightening the World,” was a gift from France to the United States in 1876 for the 100th anniversary of American independence. The Statue of Liberty is dressed in ancient Greek-style clothing, and the crown she wears symbolizes the seven rays representing the seven continents and five oceans of the world. In her right hand, the goddess holds high a torch symbolizing freedom, and in her left hand, she carries a tablet inscribed with July 4, 1776, the date of the Declaration of Independence. At her feet are broken handcuffs, fetters, and chains. She symbolizes freedom and breaking free from the constraints of tyranny, and was completed and unveiled on October 28, 1886. In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was listed as a World Heritage Site.

Photo with the Statue of Liberty (Photography: Wang Jue)

Boating on the Hudson River, not only can you get a close view of the Statue of Liberty, but you can also take in the beautiful scenery on both sides of Manhattan. The buildings on both shores are designed with great personality, and the well-arranged skyscrapers stand in great numbers. Among them, the most eye-catching is undoubtedly the new World Trade Center, with its unique style of light blue glass windows decorating the entire structure. Among the many skyscrapers, it stands out like a crane in a flock of chickens, soaring high into the sky.

New World Trade Center (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

After the boat tour on the Hudson River, the group members, led by Li Qi, walked to Manhattan’s famous Wall Street. New York is a world-class international metropolis that exerts influence in business and finance. New York’s financial district, led by Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, is known as the world’s financial center. The New York Stock Exchange here is the world’s second-largest stock exchange. It was once the largest exchange until its trading volume was surpassed by NASDAQ in 1996.

The spectacular bridge crossing the river (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

On the way from the pier to Wall Street, the team basically weaved through the towering skyscrapers of varying heights. Wall Street is the name of a major street in the southern part of Manhattan, New York City, extending from Broadway to the East River. It is only one-third of a mile long and just 11 meters wide, and is the phonetic translation of the English “Wall Street”. This street is narrow and short, with only 7 blocks from Broadway to the East River.

New York street photo (Photography: Wang Jue)

In 1792, Dutch colonists built a wall of earth to defend against British invasion, stretching from the East River to the Hudson River. Later, a street formed along this wall, hence the name Wall Street. The wall was eventually removed, but the name ‘Wall Street’ was preserved. However, it became world-famous as ‘America’s financial center’. The management offices of banks, insurance, shipping, railway companies and other businesses established by American financial powers such as the Morgan financial group, the Rockefeller oil magnate, and the DuPont consortium are concentrated here.

Washington Statue (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Wall Street is certainly famous, but the bronze bull here is just as renowned as Wall Street itself. The bronze bull statue on Wall Street has always been one of the most important symbols of American capitalism and is also a must-visit attraction for foreign tourists. This bronze bull statue was designed by Italian artist Arturo Di Modica. The bull is nearly 5 meters long and weighs 6,300 kilograms. Countless tourists who come to visit are willing to take photos with the bull and touch its horns to pray for good luck.

Manhattan Wall Street (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

It is said that the designer of the bronze bull, Di Modica, was inspired after the 1987 New York stock market crash. He said: “When I saw people lose everything, I felt very sad, so I began to create a beautiful piece of art for young Americans.” To raise funds, he sold part of his ancestral farm in his hometown of Sicily, raising a total of $360,000.

Photo on Wall Street (Photography: Wang Jue)

One midnight in 1989, he erected this later world-famous bronze bull statue outside the New York Stock Exchange, declaring it a symbol of “American strength and courage.” Because Di Modica could not obtain a permit, several days later, on December 20, 1989, the bull was moved to its current location at Bowling Green Park, a few streets away.

Photo with the Wall Street Bull (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

In the early morning of November 17, 2009 Beijing time, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States during Obama’s visit to China, the Chinese flag was raised next to the famous New York landmark “Wall Street Bull”. This was the first time in history that the Chinese flag was raised in front of the Wall Street Bull.

Group photo on Wall Street (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Today’s group members finally arrived here excitedly, taking every opportunity to touch any part of the bull, as there were too many tourists wanting to touch it. If they didn’t push forward, they probably couldn’t get close to the bronze bull. In front of the bull, they couldn’t even take a proper group photo, so they had to take a group photo on Wall Street under the opposite building. After leaving Wall Street, the North America tour team that the reporter was accompanying drove to the United Nations Headquarters building located on the east side of Manhattan, New York, to closely admire the magnificent architecture of this office building that attracts worldwide attention.

The United Nations Headquarters building, also known as the United Nations Headquarters, is the location of the UN headquarters. The ownership of this territory no longer belongs to the United States or any other country, but is the world’s only “international territory.” Its western boundary is First Avenue, the southern side is East 42nd Street, the northern side is East 48th Street, and the eastern side is the East River. Tracing back to history, this building was constructed between 1949 and 1950, with land purchased from New York real estate developer William Zeckendorf, covering an area of 17 acres (approximately 6.87973 hectares). Prior to this, the Rockefeller family had intended to offer their land in Kykuit, Westchester County, New York, but abandoned the idea due to its distance from Manhattan.

Photo at the United Nations Building (Photography: Wang Jue)

After this, Nelson Rockefeller assisted in the purchase of new land, while his father, John D. Rockefeller Jr., donated $8.5 million to help construct the building. On December 23, 2006, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution called the “Capital Master Plan”, deciding to allocate $1.877 billion to renovate the United Nations Headquarters building.

Fifth Avenue street sign (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

After lunch, the team arrived at Fifth Avenue, an important north-south thoroughfare in Manhattan, New York City, running south from Washington Square Central Park to 138th Street. Because Fifth Avenue is located in the central area of Manhattan Island, the east-west streets on Manhattan Island are sometimes designated as East or West based on this street as the boundary.

Photo taken on Fifth Avenue (Photography: Wang Jue)

For example, the 10th Street west of Fifth Avenue is called West 10th Street. When you come to Fifth Avenue, you can see the exceptionally prosperous scene here, with towering skyscrapers standing tall, and high-end hotels, famous luxury brand stores all located here. Various giant billboards with bright and dazzling colors hang between the buildings. Pedestrians are shoulder to shoulder, creating a bustling, lively, and noisy metropolitan scene.

Fifth Avenue street view (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

There are numerous attractions on Fifth Avenue, including the Empire State Building, New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Central Park from south to north. Additionally, due to the famous art museums near Central Park such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, it is known as “Museum Mile.”

Photo taken on Fifth Avenue (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Fifth Avenue between 60th Street and 34th Street is known as the “Street of Dreams” because it gathers many famous brand stores and is a high-end shopping district. Among these classic famous stores, there are also the PULITZER Fountain, ROCKEFELLER Center, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. According to an annual survey conducted by a British consulting firm across 45 countries worldwide, Fifth Avenue remains the most expensive retail space in terms of rent globally. The annual rent for stores on Fifth Avenue can exceed $1,000 per square foot.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Standing at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and looking out, among these skyscrapers, the uniquely shaped St. Patrick’s Cathedral is undoubtedly the most eye-catching. It is said to be the largest church in New York and was also the place where the Vatican Archbishop once came to the United States to preach and give sermons. Its simple and elegant Gothic architecture appears particularly striking next to Fifth Avenue, which is full of fashion, taste, and even a luxurious atmosphere. New York is an international metropolis that gives people a colorful and prosperous impression. Unexpectedly, hidden among the skyscrapers is the profound history of Catholicism in America.

Manhattan Street (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

This church was built in 1697, with its 26-meter-high spire being the most prominent feature. The rose-colored sandstone exterior and the bronze-crafted gate designed by master Richard Morris Hunt once made it quite famous, until it relinquished the title of “New York’s tallest” in 1860. Today, catching a glimpse of this elegant church at the entrance to Wall Street is still breathtaking, especially when surrounded by the towering gray-white modern buildings. The Gothic decoration inside the church is quite magnificent and elegant. Additionally, it’s worth mentioning the cemetery on the north side of the church, which buries many famous figures in American history, including Robert Fulton, the inventor of the steamboat, and Alexander Hamilton, the American statesman.

Skyscrapers stand tall along the Five Great Avenues (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Fifth Avenue is also a traditional route for New Yorkers to hold celebrations, and it becomes a pedestrian-only street closed to car traffic on summer Sundays. The traditional Manhattan Fifth Avenue Easter Parade in New York City is a major feature. People adorn themselves with colorful eggs, flowers, and small animal-shaped accessories that symbolize spring and rebirth, dressing up in their finest to celebrate the annual grand festival. In the movie ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, Audrey Hepburn would come to the Tiffany window on Fifth Avenue every morning, eating a pastry in her hand while dreaming that one day she could enjoy a leisurely breakfast inside the elegant jewelry store.

Police under the building (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Fifth Avenue truly has so many characteristics and stories for people to savor and ponder, and climbing the Rockefeller Center Building on Fifth Avenue to overlook the New York cityscape is a tourism project that allows people to directly experience pleasure and awe. The reporter and several tour companions participated together.

Rockefeller Skating Rink (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Rockefeller Center is a symbol of the Rockefeller family. In the center of the entire complex is a sunken small plaza, with a glistening golden statue of the Greek god Prometheus flying in front of the plaza. Below it is a fountain pool with dazzling reflections, which serves as an ice skating rink in winter. New York’s Christmas tree is placed at the entrance of Rockefeller Center every year, adorned with a huge five-pointed Swarovski crystal. There is also a large Swarovski store within the center, where upon entering, you can see a huge curtain-like chandelier made of countless Swarovski crystals.

New York Central Park (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Rockefeller Center is also a complex facility consisting of several skyscrapers on Fifth Avenue in New York City, New York State, USA. The center was built between 1931-1940 and is a large commercial, entertainment, and office complex invested and constructed by the American Rockefeller consortium. It covers an area of 8.9 hectares and contains 19 buildings. The designer was Raymond M. Hood. It consists of four buildings with interconnected ground floors. The largest among them is the General Electric Building, standing 259 meters tall with 70 floors. Its exterior emphasizes vertical lines, representing the prototype of slab-style high-rise buildings.

Overlooking from above (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

The General Electric Building is where you go to reach the top of Rockefeller Center. After entering the building with other tourists, our group of reporters first had to go through security, and then under the guidance of staff, we took the high-speed elevator. The elevator that goes directly to the 67th floor has a transparent glass window at the top. When the elevator ascends, looking up at the transparent ceiling, the rapidly passing scenery can be dazzling, giving a wonderful feeling of soaring into the sky. In just 1 minute, the express elevator takes you to the top floor on the 67th level, where you can pause for a moment to recover from any discomfort from the high-speed ride. Then you take the stairs to the observation deck on the 68th floor. The platform on the 68th floor is about two hundred square meters, surrounded by glass approximately 3 meters high. Through the glass, you can overlook the New York City skyline from all angles. In the fully enclosed environment on the 68th floor, visitors don’t need to worry about wind or rain, and looking out the windows doesn’t give that precarious feeling of being at a great height, which probably alleviates the fear of heights for those with acrophobia.

Manhattan street snapshot (Photography: Wang Jue)

Going up the stairs from the 68th floor, you reach the top floor of the Rockefeller Building. The platform area on this floor is slightly smaller than that of the 68th floor. Visitors can freely walk around on this floor’s platform and choose any satisfactory angle to take photos. On clear, cloudless days, when visibility reaches 40-50 kilometers, looking as far as the eye can see, the entire bustling scene of Manhattan unfolds before you. Skyscrapers such as Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and the United Nations Headquarters Building all seem to have become smaller. That unique perspective and the feeling of looking down from a great height is truly delightful. Especially when looking down at the colorful vehicles driving on the roads between the skyscrapers, they appear as small as beetles, and that contrast is truly striking.

Skyscraper (Photo by: Feng Ganyong)

That evening, the night tour of Manhattan, New York was another dream journey full of exciting moments and delightful sights. Luo Youlin, a retired cadre from the Academy of Military Sciences who was traveling with us, documented it in his WeChat: As night fell, accompanied by our guide Xiao Deng, we started from Central Park and entered Fifth Avenue. First, we strolled through the surrounding commercial streets, where we saw colorful light advertisements, bustling crowds of shoppers and entertainment-seekers flowing continuously, all complementing each other in a lively atmosphere. Next, we drove through the entire length of Fifth Avenue. Starting from the world’s first 24-hour Apple Store at the southern entrance of Fifth Avenue, we successively admired the brilliantly illuminated night scenes of the numerous brand stores, hotels, and all buildings along Fifth Avenue.

Overlooking the Hudson River (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Afterward, we arrived at Times Square, where the famous birthplace of American drama and musicals ‘Broadway’ is located. The advertising rates here are extremely expensive. Visitors can take photos with lifelike figures of celebrities such as Pope Francis at the famous wax museum here. After passing by the magnificent, temple-like New York Grand Central Terminal, the reporter’s group drove to the high ground of Hoboken in Manhattan, to finally enjoy a panoramic view of New York Bay and the city’s sparkling night lights. The night in New York is truly stunning!

Fifth Avenue at night (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Although Mr. Luo Youlin briefly recorded the process of the night tour, the reporter feels that the topic of Times Square and the shocking experience of visiting Times Square at night are still worth mentioning. New York’s Times Square is also known as New York Times Square. Its original name was “Longacre Square”, but due to translation issues, it gradually became known as Times Square. The square is called “The Crossroads of the World”. The name Times Square comes from the headquarters building of The New York Times established here. The Chinese translation of this newspaper is New York Times, hence the name New York Times Square.

Billboards flash incessantly (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Times Square extends from Sixth Avenue to Ninth Avenue in the east-west direction, and from West 39th Street to West 52nd Street in the north-south direction. There are more than 40 shopping malls nearby, as well as theaters, making it a famous entertainment and shopping center. In people’s impressions, Times Square is a symbiosis of wealth and art, but everyone has different views on Times Square. Whether day or night, Times Square shines with huge electronic advertisements, a colorful world that is crazy to the extreme.

Square That Never Sleeps (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Here, people can feel the changes in economic development through the transformations of the cylindrical advertisements on Times Square. Times Square is also the area with the highest concentration of theaters, where classical and modern coexist, and music and dance performances share the stage. World-famous shows such as ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Miss Saigon,’ and ‘Madame Butterfly’ are performed in rotation, offering a visual feast. Here, you might unexpectedly encounter world-class performing stars. Moreover, Times Square holds various special events annually, such as New Year’s celebrations and Thanksgiving parades.

Window display (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Wandering through the streets of Times Square that evening, the magnificent, colorful, brilliantly lit, bustling with people, and heavily guarded scene was all so unforgettable. Today, the theaters on Broadway, the numerous dazzling neon light advertisements, and television-style billboards have deeply become symbols representing New York, reflecting Manhattan’s strong urban characteristics. Times Square is the only area within New York City where zoning regulations require property owners to display eye-catching billboards. The density of its billboards has a similar effect to that of Las Vegas.

Splendid night view (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

Stepping into Times Square, you’ll see a flow of people from different skin colors, countries, and ethnicities around the world; it presents a stage without a stage, a world fashion model show without a director but more splendid than any directed one. This is the center where Broadway theaters gather. Countless actors take pride in being able to showcase their acting skills in Broadway theaters. Walking along the streets, you will see a special three-wheeled pedal bike for tourists, carrying fashionably dressed men and women shouting excitedly as they speed past. Looking up, the towering buildings along the street are adorned with countless giant electronic billboards that continuously change artistically exquisite advertising shorts every few seconds, 24 hours a day. It seems as if Wall Street bosses are intentionally using this triangular area to wildly yet artistically flaunt their wealth!

Dazzling billboards (Photography: Feng Ganyong)

With the successful conclusion of the night tour of Manhattan, New York, the “Enjoying the Charm of Famous Cities on the East and West Coasts of America” tour also came to an end. The ten-day trip to America was neither long nor short, but the memories and feelings it brought to people will forever remain in people’s hearts.