Fodor's Expert Review Gold Pounders' District

Local worshippers will often put gold leaf onto images of the Buddha, and this is where the bits are made, each pounded between heavy blocks by muscular craftsmen. At Golden Rose (36th Street between 78th and 79th Streets) and King Galon (36th Street between 77th and 78th Streets), you can observe the craftsmen as the English-speaking staff explain the production process. The information is not a sales pitch, but the most popular thing to buy here is sheets of gold leaf (10 for K2,500).