Introduction:

Almost every famous city has its river. The river flows through the heart of the city, affects just about everything in the city, and becomes a part of the city. Paris has the Seine, London has the Thames, and so on. For Shanghai, a bustling metropolis in the Orient, history is linked to a river called the Suzhou.

Both the Suzhou and Huangpu Rivers are called Mother Rivers by the people of Shanghai. The Bund along the Huangpu formerly served as a settlement for foreigners and has long been the financial center of the city. The area is prosperous but has little connection with ordinary people. The Suzhou is narrow, but it seems closer to the people, and it is often said that life in Shanghai is bound to the Suzhou.

From the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, the Jews in Shanghai became the largest Jewish community in the Far East. The total number of Jews in the city amounted to thirty-one thousand. The Hongkou area is well known as the main asylum for Jewish refugees. Fleeting from Austria, Poland, Russia and Germany, these immigrants had to leave all their possessions behind and came to Shanghai penniless. The Japanese regarded them as "stateless refugees" and forced them to live in a "restricted area" in the Hongkou District to the northeast of the Bund, across Suzhou Creek. The designated area was bordered on the west by Gongping Road, on the east by Tongbei Road, on the south by Huiming Road and on the North by Zhoujiazui Road. The main streets in the ghetto were Ward Road (Changyang Road), Wayside Road (Houshan Road), Baikal Road (Huiming Road) and Chusan Road (Zhoushan Road).

Itinerary:

We will meet you at 10:00 then we will have a two-hour walking and sightseeing in Suzhou River area. We will walk into the old Lane, which is considered the Shanghai history book and you must read if you want to know this city and its people. At noon, we will buy stuffs in the local market and make the dumplings by ourselves and for ourselves at Grandpa Hu’s, a local family living in the Lane! Gandpa Hu has collections from Chairman Mao’s time such as Mao badges, newspapers, stamps etc.

After lunch we will walk along the old warehouse center for one hour. From there we will walk 40 minutes to the Jewish Zone and pay a visit to the Moses Hall and the previous building where the Jews lived during the World War II. There we will listen
to the past story of the Jewish’s life told by the old inhabitants.

Here will part ways to rest and reflect on our incredible journey, but don’t forget to visit www.withyana.com/bbs to exchange thoughts and pictures with your fellow travelers and to find out when your next adventure begins! We will meet again the week after in the post-trip gathering. YANA will put everyone’s pictures on to one CD-ROM and give every one a copy.

*We reserve the right to change the itinerary with or without notice.

Trip Cost

The cost of each trip will normally cover the following:
> All land transportation
> All domestic air transport and transfers as stated in the itinerary and airport departure tax
> All services of trip leaders and local guides
> All scheduled meals and accommodation
> All entry fees

YANA trips do not include:
> Food other than breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and beverages other than tea, coffee, or soft drinks at meals arranged by YANA
> Travel and medical insurance
> Gratuities to leaders or guides
> Excursions other than those specified in trips > Private snacks and drinks

Rules of Participation

Everyone who participates in a YANA activity is asked to read, agree to the following:
1. I will follow the guidelines set by YANA in order to insure your safety during my involvement with this group.
2. If my medical condition requires regular treatment or which may be affected by strenuous activity or altitude, heat, cold or particular foods I will notify YANA in writing in advance.
3. I will buy a valid medical and travel insurance for the duration of the trip.
4. I will not bring illegal drugs to any YANA gathering or activity.
5. I will not hold YANA, or any of its participants responsible for any injury that I suffer on any YANA trip.
6. I will respect the local culture and protect the natural environment on any YANA trip.
7. I understand I am taking my own risks while participating with the group, and do not hold anyone responsible for those risks. If there happens any accident, the organizer will be obliged for first-aid. But the organizer will not take any law and commercial responsibility. Attention: after the beginning of the activity, this agreement will automatically take its effect and you are supposed to agree to it.