Photograph of Quong Yue Shing & Co. at 32 Mott Street

Quong Yuen Shing & Co., also known as “32 Mott Street General Store,” was Chinatown’s longest operating store before closing in 2003. Founded in 1891 by Lee Lok, the store originally sold typical goods like herbs, groceries, and silks while also functioning as a crucial social hub, post office, and banking center for the Chinese “bachelor society”. While the store’s functions constantly changed from generation to generation, originally selling souvenirs and then transitioning to handling utility bills for elderly and undocumented residents, its interior remained unchanged for over 100 years. MOCA co-founder Jack Tchen told the New York Times that, ''the interior is one of the most important surviving historical sites as far as I am concerned in the whole city from the 19th century.” However, after 9/11, with Chinatown sequestered and left without governmental aid, local businesses such as 32 Mott Street began to fail. Paul J.Q. Lee, the last owner, was one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit to reopen Park Row. However, after he lost more than half of his revenue and fell behind on his rent following 9/11, city marshals eventually evicted Mr. Lee in 2003. MOCA was able to salvage the store’s sign from the trash and preserve it in the archives. In 2004, Mr. Lee was still living next door to 32 Mott. He had refused to even enter the general store when it reopened under new ownership, mainly selling tourist trinkets. Even though the original store’s cabinetry, shelves, and structure remains, the history has all but disappeared.