Shanghai, Homeland Once Upon a Time: Jewish Refugees and Shanghai
During World World II, over 20,000 Jewish people were forced to live in crowded ghettos in Shanghai, where they escaped the Holocaust in Europe and had good relationships with the Chinese.
This intimate walkthrough exhibit takes you through the history of Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai during the Holocaust and established their own community in the heart of an occupied city. Learn about their journey across continents, their preservation of life and culture in a foreign nation, and how both Jewish and Chinese communities shaped and impacted each other. An additional section, provided by historian Montgomery Hom, describes the work of American military personnel who mediated for the Japanese, Chinese, and refugees.
This exhibit was made in collaboration with the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, the Chinese American GI Project, and the local community.
The exhibition will run March 21st, 2026 - January 3rd, 2027
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Disease, Healing & Medical Practices in the 19th Century: Traditional Chinese Herbs and Medicine
A Joint Presentation by the Gaslamp Museum and San Diego Chinese Historical Museum starting October 3rd, 2026
Check out the first ever joint exhibition between the SDCHM and Gaslamp Museum: Step back in time to the 1800s to experience medicinal practices from over a hundred years ago! Our exhibit highlights traditional Chinese herbs and medicine, featuring stories of 19th century Chinese medicinal practitioners and an interactive comparison between medicine then and now!
The museum showcases Chinese traditional medicine in interactive mode and a few 19th Century stories along with a brief history of Chinese medicine. Visitors will be encouraged to open drawers to see actual herbs and their usage via QR codes. Some drawers are samples to compare common modern medicine with 19th Century Chinese herbal medicines, and, not to our surprise, the main ingredients in modern medicine are often similar to traditional herbal medicine.
SDCHM Permanent Exhibition
History has always been a powerful reminder of our connection with others. Our permanent exhibition showcases a prominent timeline on a central wall to bridge our displayed items with their respective histories. One side of the wall depicts a timeline of Chinese history from the Shang to the Qing dynasty, while the other side depicts the Chinese American immigration story with a focus on the community in San Diego. The history of our organization is displayed on a segment at the end of the long wall, which honors the individuals who were key players in establishing the museum that we know today.
The permanent exhibition in our Mission building is story-based and presented in several sections. For example, we have a corner dedicated to Traditional Chinese Medicine. This area includes a herbal cabinet grinding tools, herb samples and other artifacts that you would find in a typical herb shop. Other sections include Religion and Philosophy, Chinese Folk Art, Chinese Laundries, and much more!
Images of the permanent exhibition are available @https://photos.app.goo.gl/WaX5k41ayHcEi4Z29