Chinese shelter in the storm: Shanghai park honours city's links with Jewish community
Memorial park in Qingpu district opened to pay tribute to the long ties between the two communities in war and peacetime
Shanghai's role as a place of refuge for Jews during the second world war was remembered on Sunday with the opening of a memorial park in the city's suburbs.
The Shanghai Jewish Memorial Park in Qingpu district was cofounded by the Shanghai Jewish community, the Shanghai Centre of Jewish Studies and Hong Kong-listed Fu Shou Yuan International Group.
Its opening comes as China marks the 70th anniversary of the second war, around the time when about 20,000 Jewish refugees fled Nazi persecution in Europe for the safe haven of Shanghai as other countries closed their doors to them.
The community dispersed after the founding of the people's republic, with many moving to the United States and Australia.
Read more: How Shanghai opened its doors to Jews fleeing Nazi persecution
Pan Guang, director of the Jewish studies centre, said the park was dedicated to the Jews who contributed to China's recent history.
"We built the park not only to commemorate the more than 20,000 Jewish people who sought refuge in Shanghai, but also to show our respect for the many Jewish people who contributed to Shanghai's prosperity and liberation through business, wisdom or courage," Pan said.