Kaifeng

Kaifeng (开封; Kāifēng) is on the southern bank of the Yellow River in east Henan Province.

The city was the capital of China during several dynasties, and was visited by Marco Polo. Around 1,000 years ago, when it was the capital of the Song dynasty, Kaifeng was the most prosperous and busiest city in China and the world.

Countless expats immigrated right here and lived their whole lives, especially Arabians and Persians, who afterwards formed a new ethnic group in China, named Hui (回族). Jews also settled in Kaifeng in the Bible Hutong (教经胡同; Jiaojing Hutong).

• Daxiangguo Temple, Ziyou Road (Bus 9 or 20. This temple was built AD555 during the Qi Dynasty with new buildings added in 1661 and 1766. The entire complex has 64 temples but the three main halls are of the greatest interest. The large rectangular Tathagata Hall (Daxiongbaodian) is where monks perform daily chanting rituals in front of three huge Buddhas. In the middle is an impressive bronze Sakyamuni, left is Amitabha and right is the Medicine Buddha, each with a silk hood surrounding their head. At the back of the three Buddhas is a Goddess of Mercy standing on a dragon's head and flanked by a various golden figures. Rising behind them to the roof are a multitude of heavenly figures supported on clouds. Along the side are sculptures of some peculiar looking Arhats; look for the one with an abnormally long arm reaching almost to the roof. The octagonal Arhat Hall (Louhandian) is beautifully constructed with upturned eaves and painted roof beams. The hall houses a breathtakingly beautiful four-sided golden Avalokitesavara said to be carved from a single tree over 50 years. She has six main arms, one set holding aloft a Buddha and 1000 other arms radiating outward with an eye in each palm. The rear Tripitaka Hall has two floors, the upper holding sutras and the lower a white Burmese jade Buddha in the Burmese style and a glass replica of the Emerald Buddha in Thailand’s Grand Palace. Unfortunately, all halls have a No Photo policy which is rarely adhered to even by local tourists, and rarely enforced by the attending monks. ¥30.
• The Site of Kaifeng Synagogue, 21 South Jiaojing Hutong 南教经胡同21号, +86 13781152704. Esther Guo Yan is a descendant of Kaifeng Jews, who moved from to Kaifeng via India in the Northern Song Dynasty around 1,000 years ago. She was formerly a Chinese teacher who now works full time at the Kaifeng Jewish History Memorial Center, to preserve and restore Jewish culture in the city. Listen to her stories on how her ancestors came to China, the current presence of Jews in Kaifeng, her sense of Jewish identity and her plans to restore the ancient synagogue buried under the ground. Just give her a call on her mobile - she is very passionate about her cause and eager to share her stories. All contributions go towards her cause. ¥50.
• Shudian Jie. Running north from Gulou Square this busy street is lined with a mix of old wooden and newer concrete buildings in various styles. Originally called Big Store Street in the Ming Dynasty it was renamed Bookstore Street in the Qing Dynasty when it became the center for shops selling books, paper and pens. Carved doors, shuttered windows and painted roof beams peek out from between oversized billboards but there is still plenty of facade remaining visible to give a feeling of the old street.
• Dragon Pavilion, Northern end of Zhongshan Road. The area around Dragon Pavilion was the site if the Ming dynasty palace of Prince Zhou. At the southern end of the street leading to Dragon Pavilion stands a reconstructed Wu gate. The remainder of the street is lined with many old buildings. In the late Ming period the palace was destroyed by floods, leaving only the foundations buried 5m under modern Kaifeng, however the city walls were later built along the same axis. A long bridge divides Yangjia Lake leading to the pavilion itself. Much the same views of the pavilion and lake can be seen by walking around the right side of the lake (without buying a ticket) as from inside the park. ¥35.
• Iron Pagoda, Next to North Gate on Jiefeng Road. Built in 1049 the 13-storey octagonal pagoda is said to be the most famous pagoda in China. It got its name in the Yuan Dynasty due the brown glazed tile covering its exterior giving the appearance of iron. It is still in good condition and can be climbed using the internal stairs for ¥30 (not for the claustrophobic, no viewing platform, just a dead end at the top, but several windows along the way and interesting bricks to look at). There is a Buddhist temple located near the pagoda and a small lake. ¥60, ¥30 concession.

• Po Pagoda, 30 Po Ta West Road, 禹王台区繁塔西街30号. Standing nine storeys tall until the Ming dynasty, this stocky three-storey hexagonal pagoda dates to 974, and is covered in large tiles featuring Buddhist figures. Tourists seldom visit. It can be climbed if the internal stairway's gate is unlocked that day. ¥30, ¥15 concession.
• Baogong Memorial Temple. 08:00-17:30. Temple built to honor Lord Bao. ¥20.
• Yanqing Taoist Temple, Western end of Dazhifang Street. A small temple containing a two-story pagoda with a beautiful blue glazed tile balcony and painted carvings on the front gate. ¥15.
• The city wall. Surrounding the city is the old city walls punctuated at various points with gates. Of most interest are the North gate and Little South gate on either end of Jiefeng Road that resemble the arched gates in Xi'an. The other gates are merely gaps in the wall.
• Kaifengfujian Street. Set on the edge of Baogong Lake this new construction is supposed to be a recreation of old Kaifeng and is of little interest unless you are into hourly parades of people dressed up like Song dynasty officials. ¥50.

Daxiangguo Temple, Ziyou Road (Bus 9 or 20. This temple was built AD555 during the Qi Dynasty with new buildings added in 1661 and 1766. The entire complex has 64 temples but the three main halls are of the greatest interest. The large rectangular Tathagata Hall (Daxiongbaodian) is where monks perform daily chanting rituals in front of three huge Buddhas. In the middle is an impressive bronze Sakyamuni, left is Amitabha and right is the Medicine Buddha, each with a silk hood surrounding their head. At the back of the three Buddhas is a Goddess of Mercy standing on a dragon's head and flanked by a various golden figures. Rising behind them to the roof are a multitude of heavenly figures supported on clouds. Along the side are sculptures of some peculiar looking Arhats; look for the one with an abnormally long arm reaching almost to the roof. The octagonal Arhat Hall (Louhandian) is beautifully constructed with upturned eaves and painted roof beams. The hall houses a breathtakingly beautiful four-sided golden Avalokitesavara said to be carved from a single tree over 50 years. She has six main arms, one set holding aloft a Buddha and 1000 other arms radiating outward with an eye in each palm. The rear Tripitaka Hall has two floors, the upper holding sutras and the lower a white Burmese jade Buddha in the Burmese style and a glass replica of the Emerald Buddha in Thailand’s Grand Palace. Unfortunately, all halls have a No Photo policy which is rarely adhered to even by local tourists, and rarely enforced by the attending monks. ¥30.

The Site of Kaifeng Synagogue, 21 South Jiaojing Hutong 南教经胡同21号, +86 13781152704. Esther Guo Yan is a descendant of Kaifeng Jews, who moved from to Kaifeng via India in the Northern Song Dynasty around 1,000 years ago. She was formerly a Chinese teacher who now works full time at the Kaifeng Jewish History Memorial Center, to preserve and restore Jewish culture in the city. Listen to her stories on how her ancestors came to China, the current presence of Jews in Kaifeng, her sense of Jewish identity and her plans to restore the ancient synagogue buried under the ground. Just give her a call on her mobile - she is very passionate about her cause and eager to share her stories. All contributions go towards her cause. ¥50.

Shudian Jie. Running north from Gulou Square this busy street is lined with a mix of old wooden and newer concrete buildings in various styles. Originally called Big Store Street in the Ming Dynasty it was renamed Bookstore Street in the Qing Dynasty when it became the center for shops selling books, paper and pens. Carved doors, shuttered windows and painted roof beams peek out from between oversized billboards but there is still plenty of facade remaining visible to give a feeling of the old street.

Dragon Pavilion, Northern end of Zhongshan Road. The area around Dragon Pavilion was the site if the Ming dynasty palace of Prince Zhou. At the southern end of the street leading to Dragon Pavilion stands a reconstructed Wu gate. The remainder of the street is lined with many old buildings. In the late Ming period the palace was destroyed by floods, leaving only the foundations buried 5m under modern Kaifeng, however the city walls were later built along the same axis. A long bridge divides Yangjia Lake leading to the pavilion itself. Much the same views of the pavilion and lake can be seen by walking around the right side of the lake (without buying a ticket) as from inside the park. ¥35.

Iron Pagoda, Next to North Gate on Jiefeng Road. Built in 1049 the 13-storey octagonal pagoda is said to be the most famous pagoda in China. It got its name in the Yuan Dynasty due the brown glazed tile covering its exterior giving the appearance of iron. It is still in good condition and can be climbed using the internal stairs for ¥30 (not for the claustrophobic, no viewing platform, just a dead end at the top, but several windows along the way and interesting bricks to look at). There is a Buddhist temple located near the pagoda and a small lake. ¥60, ¥30 concession.

Po Pagoda, 30 Po Ta West Road, 禹王台区繁塔西街30号. Standing nine storeys tall until the Ming dynasty, this stocky three-storey hexagonal pagoda dates to 974, and is covered in large tiles featuring Buddhist figures. Tourists seldom visit. It can be climbed if the internal stairway's gate is unlocked that day. ¥30, ¥15 concession.

Baogong Memorial Temple. 08:00-17:30. Temple built to honor Lord Bao. ¥20.

Yanqing Taoist Temple, Western end of Dazhifang Street. A small temple containing a two-story pagoda with a beautiful blue glazed tile balcony and painted carvings on the front gate. ¥15.

The city wall. Surrounding the city is the old city walls punctuated at various points with gates. Of most interest are the North gate and Little South gate on either end of Jiefeng Road that resemble the arched gates in Xi'an. The other gates are merely gaps in the wall.

Kaifengfujian Street. Set on the edge of Baogong Lake this new construction is supposed to be a recreation of old Kaifeng and is of little interest unless you are into hourly parades of people dressed up like Song dynasty officials. ¥50.

• Banjiang Park, Next to Xinkai Gate. Just outside the city walls at XinKai Gate, a large statue of a heroic looking Mao fronts this unremarkable park. Inside are various gardens, statues and a rusting ferris wheel. ¥10.
• Millennium City Park, 5 Longting West Road, Longting District (龙亭区龙亭西路5号; Lóng​tíng​qū​ Lóng​tíng​xī​lù​) (Bus 1, 15, 20, +86 378 5663819. 09:00-22:00. This park is based on a Song Dynasty painting called Going Upriver for Qingming Festival. It illustrates Song Dynasty daily life, shops and workshops. The original painting can be seen the Forbidden City in Beijing. Copies can be bought in the park. ¥80.

Banjiang Park, Next to Xinkai Gate. Just outside the city walls at XinKai Gate, a large statue of a heroic looking Mao fronts this unremarkable park. Inside are various gardens, statues and a rusting ferris wheel. ¥10.

Millennium City Park, 5 Longting West Road, Longting District (龙亭区龙亭西路5号; Lóng​tíng​qū​ Lóng​tíng​xī​lù​) (Bus 1, 15, 20, +86 378 5663819. 09:00-22:00. This park is based on a Song Dynasty painting called Going Upriver for Qingming Festival. It illustrates Song Dynasty daily life, shops and workshops. The original painting can be seen the Forbidden City in Beijing. Copies can be bought in the park. ¥80.

• New Kaifeng Museum, 6th St, Longting Qu. Huge museum in the new part of Kaifeng with exhibitions of paintings, stelae and bronze. There is an exhibition on Song technology including a life-size copy of water-powered observatory and a room dedicated to the painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival showing Song-era Kaifeng. The original is not in Kaifeng but there are several old copies and a well-made multimedia version. Kaifeng Jews stelae are not on display as of April 2018. free.
• Kaifeng Museum, 26 Yingbin Road (迎宾路26号; Yíng​bīn​lù​) (Next to Baogong Lake, bus 1, 4 or 9, +86 378 3933624. Tu-Su 08:30-11:30, 14:00-17:00. Exhibits on Kaifeng's history in first half of 1900s as well as Kaifeng's period as capital of Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Check before visiting if it is still open as a new museum has been opened in the new part of Kaifeng. ¥10.
• Cooking Museum.

New Kaifeng Museum, 6th St, Longting Qu. Huge museum in the new part of Kaifeng with exhibitions of paintings, stelae and bronze. There is an exhibition on Song technology including a life-size copy of water-powered observatory and a room dedicated to the painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival showing Song-era Kaifeng. The original is not in Kaifeng but there are several old copies and a well-made multimedia version. Kaifeng Jews stelae are not on display as of April 2018. free.

Kaifeng Museum, 26 Yingbin Road (迎宾路26号; Yíng​bīn​lù​) (Next to Baogong Lake, bus 1, 4 or 9, +86 378 3933624. Tu-Su 08:30-11:30, 14:00-17:00. Exhibits on Kaifeng's history in first half of 1900s as well as Kaifeng's period as capital of Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Check before visiting if it is still open as a new museum has been opened in the new part of Kaifeng. ¥10.

Cooking Museum.

• Walk inside the wall. Take a walk along the inside of the wall between Xinkai Gate and Song Gate to see houses made from bricks scavenged from the wall.
• Chrysanthemum Festival. Each autumn.
• Yellow River.

Walk inside the wall. Take a walk along the inside of the wall between Xinkai Gate and Song Gate to see houses made from bricks scavenged from the wall.

Chrysanthemum Festival. Each autumn.

Yellow River.

• Embroidery — dates back to the Northern Song Dynasty
• Fighting Kites
• New Year Posters — originally made in nearby Zhuxianzhen and dates back to the Tang Dynasty, shows rural scenes with persons from famous legends.
• Watermelon — the local watermelons are considered especially tasty
• Spiced Bean Curd — the local tradition for spiced bean curd dates back at least 2000 years
• Peanut Cake — has been made here for more than 1000 years

Embroidery — dates back to the Northern Song Dynasty

Fighting Kites

New Year Posters — originally made in nearby Zhuxianzhen and dates back to the Tang Dynasty, shows rural scenes with persons from famous legends.

Watermelon — the local watermelons are considered especially tasty

Spiced Bean Curd — the local tradition for spiced bean curd dates back at least 2000 years

Peanut Cake — has been made here for more than 1000 years

• Shidun Street Market. Great varitey of products for sale including clothes, cosmetics and kitchenware.
• Daxiangguo Temple Market, Ziyou Road (Just outside Daxiangguo Temple. The largest market in town, offering clothes, electronics and much other.
• Song Street. Tourist shops selling souvenirs.
• Sihou Street. The main shopping street in town.

Shidun Street Market. Great varitey of products for sale including clothes, cosmetics and kitchenware.

Daxiangguo Temple Market, Ziyou Road (Just outside Daxiangguo Temple. The largest market in town, offering clothes, electronics and much other.

Song Street. Tourist shops selling souvenirs.

Sihou Street. The main shopping street in town.

• Renmin Department Store, 23 Madao street. State owned department store offering clothes and much other.
• Kaifeng City Antiques Store, Zhongshan Street.

Renmin Department Store, 23 Madao street. State owned department store offering clothes and much other.

Kaifeng City Antiques Store, Zhongshan Street.

You will find a lot of snack stands around, which include Sandao (made of flour, bee honey, sugar and stuff), peanut cake, sesame cake etc. There are also many other cheap options.

• Night Market, Gulou Square (Gulou Guangchang) (In the center of the city. Wonderful selection of foods.
• Simen. This is one of the many Muslim restaurants in the city. The mutton soup is just perfectly boiled, try it for breakfast during the winter.
• Diyilou Restaurant. A famous place to get the Kaifeng specialty, baozi, in best quality. These baozi contains soup, so be careful when eating them.
• Nanyangshi. Serves hula soup, which is the main choice of breakfast for the locals (other similar food stands are almost everywhere). They only serve in the morning time should it be sunny.
• No. 3 Chemical Factory. This food might make you guys feel weird, but it is highly recommended. This is a donkey meat soup shop. Buy it, sit there, close your eyes if you really doubt its taste, and eat! Do not worry, the bosses of the soup shop and the chemical factory do not know each other.

Night Market, Gulou Square (Gulou Guangchang) (In the center of the city. Wonderful selection of foods.

Simen. This is one of the many Muslim restaurants in the city. The mutton soup is just perfectly boiled, try it for breakfast during the winter.

Diyilou Restaurant. A famous place to get the Kaifeng specialty, baozi, in best quality. These baozi contains soup, so be careful when eating them.

Nanyangshi. Serves hula soup, which is the main choice of breakfast for the locals (other similar food stands are almost everywhere). They only serve in the morning time should it be sunny.

No. 3 Chemical Factory. This food might make you guys feel weird, but it is highly recommended. This is a donkey meat soup shop. Buy it, sit there, close your eyes if you really doubt its taste, and eat! Do not worry, the bosses of the soup shop and the chemical factory do not know each other.

• Youyixin Restaurant, 23 Drum Tower street, +86 378 2552888. Serves traditional local food.

Youyixin Restaurant, 23 Drum Tower street, +86 378 2552888. Serves traditional local food.

Taiwan style milk tea stands in Bookstore Street (Shudian Jie).

• Hangtian Night Club. Karaoke, disco and billards.
• Zuitaibei, Drum Tower Square, +86 378 5251619. Soft music and dance. Warning: Controlled by Hongmen

Hangtian Night Club. Karaoke, disco and billards.

Zuitaibei, Drum Tower Square, +86 378 5251619. Soft music and dance. Warning: Controlled by Hongmen

Small town with mainly Karaoke Bar and restaurant to hang out. You can get a taxi ride to the "Huang He" (Yellow River) which is quite near from Kaifeng.

By train or bus, the bus station is across the street from the train Station.