Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8
HONGKOU JEWISH GHETTO & LU XUN PARK
Hongkou is a thoroughly local area, almost untouched by tourism
and only recently rediscovering its heritage as the locale of China's
20th-century literary uprising and as a safe haven for Jews fleeing
Hitler.
DISTANCE:
5km (3 miles)
START:
Hongkou Stadium metro station
END:
Zhoushan Road market
POINTS TO NOTE:
Take the subway to Hongkou Stadium stop or
catch a taxi to Lu Xun Park to reach the starting point. The first half of
this route is good for literary types, while the second half is ideal for
those interested in history. There is a real dearth of decent restaurants
and cafés on this route; convenience stores and street food are your
best options while you're out and about.
Just across the Suzhou Creek from the Bund, 1930s Hongkou was central enough for the In-
ternational Settlement to establish its support systems here - prisons, post offices, waterworks
and warehouses - but far enough away for the Japanese to establish a Jewish refugee zone
and for a literary revolution to ferment. This route offers a fascinating walk through fast-disap-
pearing neighbourhoods that are laden with history.
