more Yangtze delta

Unusually large construction cavern in Hongkou neighborhood of Shanghai, once part of the International Concession

As most of you probably know, a sizable Jewish community lived in Shanghai during the first half of last century; in addition to a first wave of Sephardic businessspeople, many fled Russian pogroms, and more fled the Nazis.

In the same neighborhood as the above construction pit, a small former Ashkenazi synagogue now functions as a museum. At the moment, the main point of interest is the architecture and furniture; the small exhibit included such items as a Singer sewing machine owned by a Jewish family. There was, however, uncharacteristically unfurious construction on a future exhibit hall behind the main building. I was given a lovely tour by an undergraduate student majoring in Middle Eastern studies, who explained that during the early 1940s, when the Japanese army occupied Shanghai, thousands of Ashkenazi Jews were crammed into a ghetto in the neighborhood surrounding the synagogue. The wealthier Sephardim faced no special restrictions. The below photo is of an apartment building in the former ghetto.


Ohel Moshe Synagogue

Nearby townhouses

I.M. Pei designed Suzhou Museum garden

Hexagonal museum windows contrast with round windows in Ming dynasty Suzhou gardens


Suzhou, an ancient silk producing center, has textiles for sale near every classical garden. As I browsed scarves, I came across one that said "I love Jesus" in English; the merchant was tickled silly when I told her what it meant.

At the largely outdoor kunqu (opera) museum, tucked next to a canal, I came across a private rehearsal, the performers' falsetto echoing off of the stone walls.