On the southern bank of the Yellow River, the ancient city of Kaifeng has withstood natural disasters, invasions and time.
Since 361 BC Kaifeng’s city walls have shielded early kingdoms and dynasties from northern invaders. The city’s fortunes reached a zenith during the cosmopolitan Song dynasty – this period distinguished Kaifeng as one of China’s most historically important cities.
For 168 years, the Eastern Capital, as Kaifeng was then known, flourished as a political, economic and cultural hub of the Middle Kingdom. Its streets bustled with people, animals and lively commerce. Resplendent temples and synagogues drew crowds of the faithful. Through its gilded city gates, camel caravans and Silk Road merchants sauntered in with bags full of goods.
Culture blossomed through poetry, calli-graphy, philosophy and the arts. Ceramic art reached its peak; no subsequent dynasty was able to replicate the exquisitely refined work of the Song ceramic masters. Today, only few pieces of priceless porcelain from the famous Guan Kiln (guānyáo 官窑) exists.
Kaifeng, home to 1.5 million people in its heyday, is a city of “firsts.” In 1041, printer Bi Sheng invented a revolutionary moveable type technology that accelerated the spread of ideas and culture throughout China. The first mechanical clock in the world was also produced here in 1092 and Kaifeng’s astronomical clock tower ran on hydropower generated by a gigantic water wheel.
The renowned Northern Song statesman and scientist Shen Kuo also came from Kaifeng. His 30- volume work called Mengxi Bitan (梦溪笔谈) is a priceless record of the learning and cultivation of his era, covering politics, economics, philosophy, history, military affairs, science and technology. In one article, Shen Kuo wrote about petroleum, which he called shiyou (rock oil), a term still used today. He recorded the properties of petroleum, its sources and uses such as how petroleum ashes could be made into ink sticks.
Even more fascinating is that Kaifeng is the earliest Chinese city to be home to a sizeable Jewish community. The first Jews arrived at Kaifeng having traveled the arduous Silk Road from Persia. Their first synagogue was built as far back as 1163, but never rebuilt after the flood of 1852. Three stone tablets in Kaifeng Museum (kāifēng bówùguǎn 开封博物馆) record their arrival.
Kaifeng’s golden days are etched onto a 5.28m long masterpiece called The Riverside Scene in Pure Brightness (qīngmíng shànghé tú 清明上河图). This valuable scroll painting was the handiwork of artist Zhang Zeduan of the Northern Song dynasty, depicts Kaifeng in amazing detail, offering an insight into the social milieu of the day – one can see the goods on sale along the market streets, the gentleman scholar interacting with his servants. It now rests with other national relics in the Palace Museum of Beijing’s Forbidden City (gùgōng bówùyuàn 故宫博物院).
For 3,000 years, the city endured various manmade and natural disasters. It was subjected to incursions from the north and relentless flooding by the Yellow River – a catastrophic combination that has left precious few reminders of its forgotten splendor. Yet modern Kaifeng retains a character and sleepy charm lost to other ancient capitals touched by modernity. Song dynasty architecture, for one, still lives on in pockets of Kaifeng.
Archers’ towers and watch stations have long vanished from the city fortifications but the city walls remain. They run for 14.4km and are 7m thick at the base tapering to 5m at the top and rise an impressive 8m high. Forget high-rise buildings, fancy hotels and shopping malls, the tallest structure at 55m is the Iron Pagoda (tiě tǎ 铁塔) located northeast of the city at Beimen Da Jie – a slender 13-storey octagonal temple with its current incarnation built in 1049.
Constructed in brick, the pagoda is wrapped in glazed tiles that give off a metallic gleam. Observe the tiles closely and you might catch a glimpse of celestial beings, dragons, Chinese unicorns (qílín 麒麟), lions and lotuses. RMB 20 entrance fee aside, you’ll have to cough up another few yuan to get a bird’s-eye view of the city from the top of the pagoda. If you look to the west, there’s a tiny pavilion housing a 5.14m tall bronze Buddha from the Song dynasty.
In the city center is the Xiangguo Temple (xiàngguó sì相国寺). Built in AD 555, it was the foremost Buddhist center and commercial hub of the city during the Song dynasty. Underlining Kaifeng’s vulnerability to floods, it was destroyed several times and last restored in 1766. The temple was given its name in AD 712 by the Tang emperor to commemorate his ascension to the Dragon’s Throne. Head for the Octagonal Ceramic Palace (bājiǎo liúlídiàn 八角琉璃殿), which houses a statue of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy (guānyīn 观音). The 6m tall idol, with four faces and 1,000 arms and eyes, was carved from a single gingko tree.
About 1.5km north of the Xiangguo Temple stands the Dragon Pavilion (lóngtíng 龙亭) in Dragon Pavilion Park (lóngtíng gōngyuán 龙亭公园). At this site once stood the ruins of Song, Jin and Ming buildings. In 1642 a catastrophic wiped out the Ming structures that once stood in the park. Dragon motifs are everywhere – on the staircase and the stone bench inside the pavilion. The park overlooks two lakes and the view the surrounding landscape from the top of the pavilion is extremely pretty.
BEYOND THE CITY WALLS
Southeast of the city, some 3km from the Xiangguo Temple is the Terrace of King Yu (yǔwáng tái 禹王台), named after Yu the Great (Dà Yǔ大禹), the tamer of floods. According to legend, this sage-king sought shelter here while battling the Yellow River and several steles commemorate his feats. There’s a temple on the terrace called the Temple of King Yu (yǔwáng miào 禹王庙). The terrace was also previously known as Ancient Music-Playing Terrace (gǔchuī tái 古吹台) after a famous blind musician Shi Kuang who performed there frequently.
To the west stands Kaifeng’s oldest structure – the Po Pagoda (pó tǎ 繁塔). The hexagonal temple was built in AD 974 and isn’t easy to find – it’s often mistakenly referred to as the Fan Pagoda. Of the original nine stories, there were just three left in the 14th century after floods damaged the structure and buried it in silt. Restoration work has added a six-storey structure on top of the remaining base. Altogether the structure comprises of 7,000 bricks with 178 exquisite patterns. Inside are Buddhist sutras engraved on stone. Get a grip on the railings as you scale to the top.
9km north of Kaifeng is an impressive yet intimidating sight: Heigangkou (hēigǎngkǒu 黑岗口), the 8km wide Yellow River rises above the surrounding land by 10m, making it obvious why the city suffered continual flooding seriously. The riverbed rises continuously because the water is filled with so much silt and requires ever-larger dykes to hold back the water. It’s also the silt that gives the Yellow River its color and name.
Making Your Trip Easy
Area Code: 0378
Practical Tips
The busy season is from May through October, so you might want to skip the crowds. It’s the coldest in January, around -9°C, while July is the hottest at 38°C.
Around April there’s a Temple Festival in the Temple of King Yu, which is held to commemorate the brave feats of the legendary sage-king Da Yu. The celebration is lively with tightrope walkers edging their way precariously on a wooden beam, boisterous lion dancers and cacophonic Henan and Beijing Opera performances. This festival is held at the Terrace of King Yu.
Beginning every October 18, Kaifeng celebrates the month-long Chrysanthemum Festival at Dragon Pavilion Park. Though it can get a little chilly, it’s a beautiful time to soak in the atmosphere and join in the festivities and take a look at the gorgeous flowers.
Transportation
Airport – The airport is located 60km west of the city, it’s about 50 minutes to the city by taxi.
Taxi – It’ll cost about RMB 10 to get anywhere within the city, flag-fall is RMB 5.
The Best of Kaifeng
Dragon Pavillion 龙亭 lóngtíng
Address: Beiduan Zhongshan Lu 中山路北段
Phone: 566 0316
Opening hours: 6am to 6:30pm, peak-season; 7am to 6pm, off-season
￥: 25
The Former Kaifeng City Hall 开封府 kāifēng fǔ
Address: on the north bank of Baogong Lake 包公湖北岸
Phone:398 3319
Opening hours: 7am to 7pm
￥: 35
Heigangkou 黑岗口 hēigǎngkǒu
Address: 9km north of Kaifeng 开封城北9公里
Millennium City 清明上河园 qīngmíng shànghé yuán
Address: 5 Longting Xilu 龙亭西路5号
Phone: 566 4874
Opening hours: 9am to 6pm
￥: 40
Xiangguo Temple 相国寺 xiàngguó sì
Address: 36 Xiduan, Ziyou Lu 自由路西段36号
Phone: 566 5090
8am to 6:30pm
￥: 20
Hotels
Dongjing Hotel 东京大饭店 dōngjīng dàfàndiàn ★★★
Address: 99 Yingbin Lu 迎宾路99号
Phone: 398 9388
￥: 288 – double room
Grand Tianzhong Hotel 天中大酒店 tiānzhōng dàjiǔdiàn ★★★
Address: 41 Gulou Jie 鼓楼街41号
Phone: 595 8888
￥: 318 – double room, peak-season; 255 – double room, off-season
Kaifeng Guesthouse 开封宾馆 kāifēng bīngguǎn ★★★
Address: 64 Zhongduan, Ziyou Lu 自由路中段64号
Phone: 595 5589
￥: 298 – double room
Food & Restaurants
Succumb to your midnight cravings. Everyone else you’ve met earlier today when you toured the city is probably at Drum Tower Square (gǔlóu guǎngchǎng 鼓楼广场) having supper. This is also the site of Kaifeng’s famed Drum Tower night market. Several wooden restaurants and shops line the people-packed walkways. Any street stall crammed onto the sidewalk is a good bet for a tasty treat. Recommended are the fragrant skewers of succulent lamb. Soaking in the hive of nocturnal activity over delicious food and ice-cool beer packs a heady gastronomic punch that’ll knock you into blissful sleep after the feast.
Carp with noodles (lǐyú bèimiàn 鲤鱼焙面), combining tender fish with thin noodles are a local specialty. Deep fried pork (zhá zǐsūròu 炸紫酥肉) is also worth a try, its golden skin is crispy and crunchy. Tube chicken (mǎyùxīng tǒngzijī 马豫兴桶子鸡) which gets its odd name because the slices of chicken curl into the shape of a tube after they’re cooked is tasty. Kaifeng’s meat-filled buns (guàntāng bāozi 灌汤包子) are famed throughout China. Finish off dinner with a sweet and crispy peanut cake (huāshēng gāo 花生糕) for desert.
RESTAURANTS
Daoxiang Ju 稻香居
Specializes in pot stickers (guōtiē锅贴), a plate goes for RMB 10 and wonton soup (húndùn 馄饨).
Address: 78 Songdu Yu Jie 宋都御街78号
Phone: 288 4603
Opening hours: 10am to 9pm
Kaifeng No. 1 Restaurant 开封第一楼
Specializes in inexpensive deliciously juicy meat buns (guàntāng bāozi 灌汤包子), RMB 6 for a plate of them.
Address: 8 Sihou Jie 寺后街8号
Phone: 565 0780
Opening hours: 9am to 10pm
Mayuxing Jiya Dian 马豫兴鸡鸭店
With over 100 years of history, it is famous for the tube chicken (mǎyùxīng tǒngzi jī 马豫兴桶子鸡).
Address: Drum Tower Square 鼓楼广场
Phone: 595 4233
Opening hours: 9am to 7pm
Youyixin Fandian 又一新饭店
Established in 1906, it’s famous for its liyu beimian (鲤鱼焙面) and zha zisurou (炸紫酥肉).
Address: 22 Gulou Jie 鼓楼街22号
Phone: 255 5188
Opening hours: 7am to 9pm
Souvenirs
Market time is fantastic fun and the visual spectacle includes lingerie strung on clothes lines between trees and belts cut to measure from a sheet of leather on the spot. Try to find samples of Kaifeng embroidery, called bian xiu (汴绣). If you’re lucky, you’ll find pieces depicting legendary personalities and assorted paintings. Prices range from a few yuan to over RMB 10,000 depending on the size and quality.
If you have time to spare, head for nearby Zhuxianzhen (朱仙镇), an ancient town known for its fine paintings. They sell specialty Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) paintings, called zhuxianzhen muban nianhua (朱仙镇木版年画). These paintings feature characters with exaggerated features and symbols representing good fortune and happiness for the New Year. It costs around RMB 150 to 400 for one booklet.
If you care for porcelain, you may be interested in buying imitation pieces inspired from the famous Guan Kiln porcelain (guānyáo cíqì 官窑瓷器) – a type of fine china found in the city. Guan Kiln was one of the imperial kilns of the Northern Song dynasty. The price varies from a few hundred RMB to over a thousand.
Jinggu Zhai (京古斋) is a good place to find traditional paintings, and if you feel like doing your own calligraphy, they also sell supplies. Find them at 43 Sihou Jie (寺后街43号, 595 6058). The Kaifeng Bian Embroidery Factory (kāifēng biānxiù chǎng开封汴绣厂) has lots of embroidery on offer. They’re located at 88 Mujiaqiao Jie (穆家桥街88号, 595 1780). Antiques in a store setting are at Wenwu Shangdian (文物商店) over at 108 Beiduan Shizhongxin (市中心北段108号, 596 1375). If you’re looking for everyday items, then Sam’s Time Square (sānmáo shídài guǎngchǎng 三毛时代广场398 6660) at 66 Zhongduan Zhongshan Lu（中山路中段66号） will cover your basic needs.
Other Information
POST OFFICES
Kaifeng Post Office 开封邮局
Address: 33 Xiduan Ziyou Lu 自由路西段33号
Phone: 595 9338
HOSPITALS
The First Kaifeng People’s Hospital 开封市第一人民医院
Address: 85 Hedao Jie 河道街85号
Phone: 567 1288
COMPLAINT HOTLINES
General: 387 0100
Taxi: 397 2220