Before Mother’s Day, the second and third generation of Ting’s Gift Shop bid farewell to new and longtime customers in Manhattan Chinatown, where the shop’s roots were established, with the support of community organizations through a pop-up shop.
Having been in business for 66 years, this oldest gift shop in Chinatown is not only a treasure trove for locals and a familiar neighbor but also the starting point and endpoint of exploration for its founder, Ms. Tam Ting.
On May 10th, Silk Road Cafe on Mott Street was transformed into a pop-up shop with a display of elegant qipaos and cheongsams, as well as various antiques and decorative items. This pop-up shop was organized by “Welcome to Chinatown” specifically to bid farewell to “old friend” Ting’s Gift Shop.
Established in 1958, Ting’s Gift Shop is one of the oldest businesses in Chinatown, founded by the late Tam Ting from Hong Kong and managed in partnership with her husband, Ting Youhong, originally from Shanghai. Following Tam Ting’s passing from pancreatic cancer three years ago, the gift shop has been primarily run by her eldest daughter, Eleanor Ting, and granddaughter, Jona Ting.
Due to the landlord’s decision to reclaim the storefront at 18 Doyer St, Ting’s Gift Shop announced its closure in late April and a flash clearance sale in May.
“We want to cherish memories and pack our bags slowly at the corner of Pell St and Doyer St, spending our final days there,” the closure notice stated.
At the pop-up shop held in the cafe, Eleanor Ting, with her daughter Jona Ting and Asian creative director of “Welcome to Chinatown,” Harry Trinh, greeted customers.
Hong Kong artist Helen, who first heard about the gift shop during her curation in Chinatown three years ago, chose an elegant qipao for herself at the final pop-up shop event. Helen expressed mixed feelings, saying, “I am saddened by the closure of the gift shop, but at the same time, I look forward to their return with a cool and positive outlook.”
Meanwhile, Lillian Ting, the youngest daughter of the Ting family, stayed behind at the old storefront to pack up. With the shop door partially ajar, occasional calls of “Lillian” from longtime customers could be heard from inside.
After visiting the pop-up shop, film director Matt Lenski lingered at the original store. Growing up in Tribeca next to Chinatown, Lenski has been a customer of Ting’s Gift Shop since his childhood.
Lenski, now a father, brought his 5-year-old son to the shop to explore treasures. “This place is like a natural movie set,” Lenski told Lillian Ting, expressing his disbelief at its closure. Glancing back at the once-overflowing store filled with merchandise, now only a few qipaos, lanterns, and basic commodities remained.
On nearly empty shelves stood a framed photograph of founder Tam Ting gazing out from the store. This photo was featured in Vogue’s Mother’s Day special report in May 2021. Later that year, Tam Ting passed away at the age of 90.
For the Ting family’s daughters, the gift shop was where their mother realized her dream and served as their second home.
“My mother always wanted to own her own shop since her days in Hong Kong. A single woman opening a shop in New York made her very proud!” Lillian Ting said with a smile. “She was broad-minded and had long envisioned doing business with computers. If she were a man in her lifetime, she would have certainly achieved extraordinary things.”
Lillian Ting recalled how her mother loved traveling the world, leaving her mark in China, Europe, and Africa. “Whenever she fell in love with African handicrafts, our shop would feature African-style crafts!”
1958 not only marked the establishment of Ting’s Gift Shop but also the birth year of Eleanor Ting, the eldest daughter of the Ting family. For 66 years, three generations of the Ting family have never strayed from Chinatown, making the gift shop their second home.
“This is my whole life. I grew up here, working inside,” Eleanor Ting said.
The third generation of the gift shop, Jona Ting, also grew up in the shop. In her memory, her grandmother was a hardworking, independent, and strong-willed woman who was sociable and hospitable.
“She always liked to chat with customers, so many people would come in just to have a conversation with her, even if they didn’t buy anything,” Jona Ting said.
For Chinatown residents, the Ting family and their gift shop were always welcoming neighbors.
Lillian Ting recalled a regular customer who used to visit once a week asking for money, and Tam Ting would earnestly advise him to drink less, while her father, Ting Youhong, would purposely arrive early to teach martial arts on the street.
Though Mrs. Ting could not personally attend the pop-up shop event, Lillian Ting was certain that her mother would have appreciated this youthful business model.
This was largely thanks to the creative director, Harry Trinh, responsible for organizing the event. He utilized mobile payments instead of cash to operate the pop-up shop more efficiently, potentially setting the stage for Ting’s Gift Shop to return in a new way.
“Thinking that they are retiring but may come back in a different way in the future makes me happy. However, for the Ting family, it’s bitter because the gift shop is like their second home,” Harry Trinh said.
Harry Trinh mentioned how Eleanor shared her time growing up in the shop, always being with family. “Mrs. Ting was the main driving force behind this gift shop. Her passing was a heavy blow to the family, leading the next generation to ponder and navigate the future.”
The passing of their mother and the landlord’s decision, coupled with changes in modern consumer habits, ultimately led the Ting family to decide to close their family business of over a century this year.
Wellington Chen, the executive director of the Chinatown Business Improvement District, expressed, “With over 1,600 establishments in this district, how many have been in operation for over 60 years? The qipaos from four, five decades ago, with their exquisite fabrics, are now considered antiques!”
“The drive to not fall behind displayed by Ms. Tam Ting is already flowing in the blood of the Ting family’s descendants; I believe the daughters of the Ting family will continue to be strong,” Chen said.