Overview
Explore China through the lives of the Jews who settled there throughout history.
Let Vered Tours take you to China and learn about the history of Jews in Kaifeng, Shanghai and Harbin.
Vered Tours has tours to suit your needs: synagogue groups, organizations, community groups, bar/bat mitzvah family tours or tours for individuals.
Vered Tours provides personalized service to travel professionals and individual
travelers with customized group and FIT itineraries for all budgets.
Highlights of a Jewish Heritage Tour in China
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Why you’ll Love this trip
Kaifeng
Jews settled in Kaifeng at the beginning of the Song dynasty (960-1127 CE). The oldest known Chinese synagogue is located in Kaifeng. Walk through the Jewish Museum located in the Riverside Park and view the three surviving stone steles that remain from the ruins of the Kaifeng synagogue. About 140 families of Jewish descendants still live in Kaifeng today.
Shanghai
Jews came to Shanghai in 1842 from Baghdad and Bombay, after the city was opened to foreign traders. Later Jews arrived from Russia in the year following the Revolution and again from central Europe during World War II.
Harbin
Jews came to Harbin from Russia and central Europe in the 19th century after the construction of the Siberia Railroad. Today you can visit the Jewish synagogue on Tongjiang Street in the Daoli District, the old Jewish school and Jewish cemetery.
Gallery
Optional Itinerary
Day 1: Kaifeng
Day 2: Shanghai
Day 3: Harbin
Inclusions
Meals:12 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 4 Dinners
5 Star Hotels
All Transportation
Additional trip Information
The country is extremely safe
Despite not knowing the language and often having no clue what was going on, you won’t feel unsafe in China once. Crime levels are incredibly low; this is partially to do with the controversial government and the death penalty being rife, meaning that would-be criminals just don’t commit crimes because they know that they can’t get away with it.
That being said, the majority of the Chinese are very decent people, and you’d be hard-pushed to find many wannabe criminals among them. This makes the crime rate of China very low, even against tourists. There are the occasional pickpocketing incidents in busy cities, but even that can be very easily avoided by making sure you don’t have your valuable objects on show.
The climate is harsh
China overheats in the summer and freezes in the winter. The whole country can see temperatures of up to 50 degrees in July and August and the North of the country can drop to minus 15 or lower in January and February.
The best times to visit are therefore spring and summer, when the climate is bearable. That being said, travellers do visit every location in China at any time of year, but it’s very important to pack accordingly and know what climate you’re letting yourself in for!
Tipping
Generally, tipping is not expected on mainland China, although leaving spare change at restaurants and giving a small amount to porters or bar staff is becoming more commonplace (although not mandatory). Some large hotels and restaurants may already include a 10%-15% surcharge within the bill. The culture of tipping is different in Hong Kong, where taxi drivers and restaurants will usually round up the bill, and service staff like porters will generally expect a tip.