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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Jews in China: Kaifeng, Shanghai before WWII and Beijing in 2008



BEIJING
I've recently visited Beijing and with the Olympics being held there later in 2008 many of you may be either visiting China or watching it on TV and reading about it.

KAIFENG
You probably already know about Kaifeng where a Jewish community existed in previous centuries but died out. The little that is left forms the basis of tours for visiting Americans. In London, England, a Chinese kosher restaurant was named after Kaifeng.

SHANGHAI
Beijing and Shanghai have Jewish communities. Shanghai's Jewish Museum in the former Jewish quarter has a permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, and can send you on a walking tour. In Shanghai if you contact a community group you can have a kosher meal at a group get-together.

The best known historic building with Jewish origins is the Peace Hotel on the bund (waterfront). It had a well-known Jazz bar for years. It's Chinese style restaurant featured in films.

A smaller - fewer than fifty bedroom and suites, but equally architecturally stunning hotel, is the Hengshan-Moller Villa, once home of Eric Moller, a British Jew. His daughter dreamed of a fairytale castle, so he built this romantic house to realize her dream. Outside it has gables and a tower with two levels of gables. Rather a surprise, alongside skyscrapers. I found it by accident. When our hire car drove past it, I insisted on stopping to take a look.

The family was originally in shipping so it's full of ship symbols. Later Eric owned a successful racehorse. You see a copper racehorse statue in the garden. I'm checking the facts from the hotel brochure. I brought the brochure back to England.

I had tea in the hotel with an ex-pat friend who has been living in Shanghai. Her American husband was working there.Shanghai has lots of buildings which were former homes of Jewish people or were built by them.

BEIJING
In the hotel I visited in Beijing was surprised to find on the Executive lounge a small library containing a handsome large hardback picture book about the Jews of China. It didn't tell me much I didn't know, although it had lots of good pictures.

You'll find lots of fascinating information if you do an on line search.In Beijing a kosher restaurant recently opened.

If you know any more about the past or future of Jewish communities in China or what tourists can see please let me know. Thanks.

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