This volume summarizes the results of a research project organized at Mainz University in
Germersheim Germany. It focused on the Jewish community in Kaifeng in China (12th to 19th
century). In recent years increasing research has been done about the history and culture of
the Jews in China and in the future more academic interest in all questions connected with it
can be expected. Main topics are the perception of Chinese Judaism in European history as well
as in Chinese society itself the self-image of the descendants in Kaifeng and their present
status in China and how China deals with foreign ethnics and religions as part of its own
history and identity. These topics were discussed from various interdisciplinary points of
view. The authors from Australia China Hong Kong Israel Great Britain France and Germany
are prominent sino-judaists who present their latest results of research in the light of new
facts and approaches.
