Tuesday, May 22, 2007

A walk through the Jewish Quarter

The past Saturday (19 May) we took a walk through a part of Shanghai called Tilanqiao by the locals (after the old fishing village there) and also known as the "Former Jewish Quarter" due to the fact that about 24,000 Jews lived there during WWII, escaping persecution in Europe.

During World War II, the city of Shanghai provided refuge to a Third Wave of Jews escaping from persecution in Europe. During this era, there was a great contrast between the stateless refugees who fled from war-torn Europe and the established Jewish entrepreneurs who were prospering in Shanghai. Now, the Sephardic and Russian business communities worked together to organize food, shelter and clothing for the European refugees.

From 1938 on, some 20,000 Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria escaped to Shanghai, the only place in the world that did not require a visa to enter. Among them was Michael Blumenthal, who later became U.S. Secretary of the Treasury in the Carter Administration, and the late Shaul Eisenberg, who founded and ran the Eisenberg Group of Companies in Israel.

Between 1939 and 1940, approximately 1,000 Polish Jews escaped to Shanghai, avoiding certain death. Among these, all the teachers and students of the Mir Ygshiva, some 400 in number, miraculously survived and continued their studies in the Beth Aharon Synagogue, the only place of worship with space enough to hold the entire Yeshiva. They escaped Poland through Vilna, obtained transit visas to Japan from Sugihara Chiune, the Japanese consul in Kovno, and finally made their way to Shanghai.

The Japanese invaded China in 1937, and later occupied the area around Shanghai. From December 1941 to 1945, the Japanese interned the population of Shanghai Jews who were citizens of Allied countries. "Stateless refugees" from Germany, Austria, or Poland were relocated to a ghetto in Hong Kou ("Hong Kew"), while those from neutral countries like Iraq and Russia were left alone. Despite these difficult conditions, the Jewish community adapted to retain its culture, tradition and social lifestyle.

By the end of the war, Shanghai was home to approximately 24,000 Jews. After the end of the war in 1945 and with the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the community dwindled, with many Jews emigrating to Israel, the United States, Australia and Hong Kong.

-From www.chinajewish.org.

The Jewish Quarter is north-east from where Suzhou Creek meets the Huangpu River. It's actually quite close to downtown, a few minutes from People's Square by taxi, and just across the Huangpu River from the Pearl Tower.

We rode Metro Line 1 to the Yangshupu Station and for our first stop headed east, away from the Jewish Quarter, to the historic (founded in the 1880's), sprawling, riverside, and still operational, Shanghai Waterworks. Unfortunately the museum was closed and according to the guard "not open to individuals". Hmm. However we had a good view of the historic buildings through the fence and luckily the road in front was torn up for repair and offered a good view of some humongous water pipes. Great guy stuff!

830 Yangshupu Road - Shanghai Waterworks

Rode bus #21 3 stops back west. After getting our bearings, we hit the sites, all roughly clustered around the intersection of Houshang Lu and Zhoushan Lu: Houshan Park with a plaque commemorating the "Stateless Refugees", the Vienna Cafe, and the Synagogue which was under renovation but due to reopen in August.

Vienna Cafe.
57 Huoshang Lu - Little Vienna Cafe - Shanghai

View to Houshan Lu.
The Former Jewish Quarter - Shanghai

While walking around we saw these guys playing a type of billiards game. Sun-Ling says she remembers seeing it played when she was a child.
Billards? on Zhoushan Lu - Shanghai

In addition to the Jewish history, this area is also home to a prison and a Buddhist temple.

The Shanghai Tilanqiao Prison,formerly known as the Shanghai Municipal Gaol, is almost right across the street from the synagogue, and features a magnificent art deco gate (no photos allowed but here is an old photo I found on the web), guard towers with guards and guns, and an impressive complex of brick buildings, mostly art deco. We asked the guard about getting a tour. He said there tours for officially invited groups, but not for individuals. Hmm.

On one side of the prison is an art deco hospital; formerly and/or currently the prison hospital. On the other side, a line of shops. And in the shadows behind, a flower and bird market from where you can see inmate's laundry hanging in cell windows.

Prison hospital.
197 Changyang Lu - Hospital - Shanghai

Just a few blocks away at 73 Kunming Lu, in the XiaHai Miao Buddhist Temple and Nunnery open daily from 7AM to 4PM (7AM to 7PM on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month). The recently refurbished temple is home to about 30 nuns. We arrived at 3:45 and got to see the 4PM prayers. Vegetarian food is served on the 1st and 15th.

Here is the main temple.
XiaHai Miao - 73 Kunming Lu - Shanghai

Two of the four guardians.
XiaHai Miao - 73 Kunming Lu - Shanghai

Just down the street is a vegetarian restaurant. We bought 6 vegetarian zongzi "to go" for 6 RMB total.

A few block south and west of the temple, at 505 Dong Changzhi Lu, is this awesome example of Art Deco architecture, the Lester Institute of Technical Education.
505 Dong Changzhi Lu - Shanghai

Just before grabbing a taxi home, we saw this unidentified structure on the riverbank. Hmm. Maybe a viewing stand of some sort.
What is it? on Dong DaMing Lu - Shanghai

Finally, from the newish Yangshupu Metro Station: Drinks, Meds, and Photos.
Drinks, Meds, Photos

To see all the photos from May 19, 2007, click here.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Quality of Life

The quality of life in Shanghai has just improved. I spotted these Nacho Cheese and Rock Taco flavored Doritos at my local Family Mart in XuJiaHui. I tried the Nacho Cheese (3.40 RMB a package) - not as cheesy as the ones in the States, but still quite tasty. Correction: Careful reading of the package reveals that the name is "Nacho Cheesier" NOT "Nacho Cheese". Hmm.

Doritos come to Shanghai

Monday, May 14, 2007

A Funeral

Last Saturday we attended the funeral of Sun-Ling's Great Aunt, her maternal grandmother's younger sister, who had gone into a coma on the 3rd day of the Chinese New Year and died without regaining consciousness. She was over eighty and in poor health for many years.

The funeral was in Shanghai, not far from our apartment. Upon arrival at the funeral home - four floors and able to support several simultaneous funerals - we signed in and each received a black arm patch, bottled water, small blue towel, and a single long stem yellow flower.

The ceremony was short: a few words from a representative sent by her former work unit and a few words from the oldest son. After the traditional bowing, the open coffin was tenderly loaded with flowers, blankets, paper money, and other afterlife necessaries, then nailed shut and sent to the crematoria.

We, along with all the other mourners, then walked outside, dropped our arm patches in a small open fire (on the sidewalk), swung a leg over the fire (symbolic jumping over the fire), and all boarded a bus to go to lunch.

Here is a photo of Sun-Ling and Great Aunt - we called her Mei Do Na in the local dialect - on the 1st day of the Chinese New Year, just a few days before she went in to the coma.

Visiting Great Aunt.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Fujian Trip (photos and video)

I'm way behind on travel journals. So, in the meantime, click on the links below for some video from our trip to Fujian, China around Jan 01, 2007 and click here for all the photos (which have descriptions).

Jammin' musicians

Elementary School Marching Band

Buddhist Temple Rituals

March of the Flight Attendants

That's all.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

rain or shine ...

It's getting bright and sunny at 30 degrees north latitude. Time to buy that summer umbrella, hat, and gloves.

rain or shine

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

The Red Menace is gone

"It's killin' me. I can't eat, I can't sleep--all I can see is that giant red sun in the shape of a CHICKEN!" Cosmo Kramer


While we were in the US, the giant red JVC sign across from our apartment was replaced by a giant blue Mercedes sign. While I'll miss that gentle red glow, I welcome the new cool blue rays.

View from our window - XuJiaHui District - Shanghai

20070507 046_z

Monday, May 07, 2007

Taiji mania

True to footage seen on TV and photos in National Geographic, morning exercise goes on in every nook and cranny in China. Our neighborhood is no exception. In fact it takes place right in front of our building. John has to dodge taiji swords and fists every morning in order to make it to his bus.

I had been wanting to get into taiji ever since we came to Shanghai. When we moved to Xujiahui in October, I didn't feel I could brave the winter mornings. So when I got word that a new class was starting after the first Full Moon (beginning of March), I was all ready.

The first couple of weeks, classes started at 7. Then it was 7:30, which was not a problem since John gets up at 6:50 for his 7:30 bus.

The problem was that class seemed really fast for me. From beginning of March to mid April (when we left for our US visit), we went through a 24-move set, 88-move set, and a 52-move fan set! Classes take place Monday thru Saturday everyday for about one hour. When I slept in on Saturdays or when we went on weekend trips, I end up studying with videos. So, for a month and half, all my spare time was devoted to studying taiji, first thing when I get up and last thing before I go to bed.

I found I really like taiji. With yoga, I only manage to put in time, not posture. Compared to my elderly classmates, I do relatively well in taiji. Only relatively. Much to my surprise, taiji is hard work, not the mere arm-waving-in-slow-motion as I initially expected. It's really hard on the kneels; I cannot kick; I cannot squat low enough. And it takes a lot of concentration; it's meditative; the fan and 88-move make my heart beat! I can already tell my taiji sessions will be one of the highlights of our Shanghai experience.

Here's the view from our apartment balcony of Sun-Ling's taiji class. She is at far right in green top.
Taiji - Xujiahui, Shanghai

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Our Clivia (updated)

After 5 years, 8 attempts, and 50 bucks, I finally get a clivia to flower. Yeah! Here's the photo.

Finally flowering!

Too bad we won't be able to fully enjoy it as we are headed to the US for 2 weeks.

UPDATE on May 6: I was wrong. The clivia was still blooming after our return from 16 days in the US. Thanks to our 6th floor neighbor for a great job watering our plants while we were away.

Still Flowering! - Shanghai, China

Start of Summer - 立夏 - Lixia

In addition to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, there are 24 solar periods in a year; e.g., 3/21 Spring Equinox, 6/21 Summer solstice, 4/5 Clear & Bright (tomb sweeping). 5/6 is "Start of Summer" (立夏Lixia).

When I was growing up, we were given hard boiled eggs to eat and play with. We would weave individual satchels out of colorful yarns for the eggs. We were also given herb sachets to ward off bugs for the upcoming summer. Since I grew up in Shanghai before bathroom scales, we headed off to the scale vendor around the corner to get ourselves weighed.

The egg eating & children weighing traditions stem from days before air condition and refrigeration when the hot summer made people loose weight due to lost of appetite and increased stomach flu. In fact, my father-in-law has a theory that Americans are fat because of air condition :(

Earlier today we headed out to the nearby Longhua Temple Fair and caught some of the children weighing and egg action.

Two kids with eggs around their necks.
First day of Summer Eggs - Shanghai, China

The weighing ceremony (1 RMB). A girl with pigtails is on the scale (lower middle right)

Weighing In - Shanghai, China

And finally, it's not a fair without a Midway.
Longhua Fair - Shanghai

And additionally, last night we went over to my parent's and I made "egg holders" for my nephews. You really need colorful yarn, but all I could find was string. John was amazed that I remembered how to make them.

In this photo, Ian (at left) has his egg around his neck. Ethan (at right) has a New Year's ornament around his neck.

Ian and Ethan with Lixia eggs