Kaifeng

K'ai-feng synagogue ("Temple of Purity and Truth")

China's documented medieval community: the 1163 synagogue, the 1489/1512/1663 stone stelae, and the Ming-era mandarin Jews - assimilated by the 19th century, with descendant revival interest today.

Modern locality anchor

Kaifeng

China · City · 34.8°N 114.3°E

This anchor orients the sourced locality record. It is not a reconstructed historical position or border; the single map below provides geographic context.

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Where is Kaifeng?

Land geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m via world-atlas. Pins mark modern localities or representative regional anchors stored on Atlas place records, not historical borders and not reconstructed positions. · Sources & methods

THE COMMUNITY TIMELINE · EVERY NODE DATED

What happened to the Jewish community of Kaifeng?

960–1163

Documented community (Song dynasty era; origins possibly Tang - tradition)

1163–1860

Synagogue era (1163-1860)

1810–1949

Assimilation era (last rabbi d. ~1810)

1980–present

Descendant revival interest

Today

No functioning synagogue; descendants' revival interest documented.

LANGUAGES & COMMUNITY

What did Kaifeng sound like?

Kaifeng Jewish Community

Hebrew (עברית, Ivrit)

AFTER · IN FULL COLOR

What survives today?

In Kaifeng

No functioning synagogue; descendants' revival interest documented.

Stelae site (Kaifeng synagogue)
archaeological site · historic site
Stelae preserved in the Kaifeng museum; site unmarked.
Kaifeng Jewish History Memorial
memorial · historic site

KEEP GOING

Related places & stories

Guided story · 8 stopsThe languages Jews spoke before modern HebrewOne people, a dozen mother tongues. What did Jews speak before modern Hebrew? Follow the words.Begin the route

SOURCES & REVIEW

Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd ed. (place entry)
Macmillan Reference USA · 2007
Jesuit missionary accounts
Jesuit records · 1850

Reviewed 2026-07-30

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