Kaifeng: World’s Largest City 1000 Years Ago

Have you ever dreamed of going back in time to Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) in China and savor the prosperity and culture of those years· If so， come to Kaifeng in Henan Province. Find yourself in the spectacular scenery there and you are sure to realize that dream.

Kaifeng is one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China. It lies at the plain area of east Henan Province， and on the southern bank of the Yellow River. During the Song Dynasty when it was known as Dongjing or Bianjing， Kaifeng was the Chinese capital with a population of over 400，000， living both inside and outside the city wall. This city reached its peak importance in the 11th century when it was a com- mercial and industrial center at the intersection of four major canals. It is believed that Kaifeng was the largest city in the world from 1013 to 1127.

With the influence of a long history over 2，700 years， various cultural relics and historic sites are remained in Kaifeng. Therefore， the city became an important tourist destination in China. It is also the famous “Northern Water Town” in China. You can appreciate many historical and cultural landscapes in Kaifeng， including Iron Pagoda， Dragon Pavilion， Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden， Imperial Street of Song Dynasty， Memorial Temple of Lord Bao， Kaifeng Yamun， Xiangguo Temple as well as Kaifeng Museum.

Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden

Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden located on the west bank of Dragon Pavilion Lake is a grand cultural garden. It was constructed based on the Millennium Picture drawn by Zhang Zeduan， the well-known artist in North Song Dynasty. It is a huge complex of ancient architectural buildings with the imitation of Song Dynasty style. The architectures in the park are simple and elegant. By combining a series of the plays into scenic spot， which reflected folk-custom and cultures， the park creates a wonderful Chinese ancient Disneyland， which gives a new amusement experience for the visitors.

A staff of about 1，000 employed in the garden wearing different traditional clothes put on performances for the visitors from 9:00 am to 22:00 pm. On the streets you can find acrobats， puppet shows， cockfighting and even a marriage scene. While in the park you will have the opportunity to see exhibits of folk customs and traditional crafts ranging from hand embroidery to displays of woodcut pictures and official porcelain.

One of the distinctive things you will encounter when visiting the Park lies in participation. You can play a role in a traditional Chinese marriage and realize your dream of being a Number One Scholar in the imperial examinations of ancient times. These activities are sure to bring the past alive and add to your enjoyment and interest.

Dragon Pavilion

The Dragon Pavilion in Kaifeng was originally the site of the imperial palace of the Northern Song Dynasty， formerly called Longevity Pavilion. The present building was reconstructed， covered with golden glazed tiles and has graceful upturned eaves in 1692 in the 31st year of the reign of Qing Emperor Kangxi.

The Dragon Pavilion Park is a typical representative of the cultural and historical heritages of Kaifeng， which is the main venue of the famous Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Show held in October of each year. At that time it becomes a carnival of flowers and the best place for visitors to spend the festive season.

Iron Pagoda

Iron pagoda， the No.1 pagoda in China and the symbol of Kaifeng city， is located in the Iron Tower Park， northeastern corner of Kaifeng City. The tower was first built in 982 (during the Song Dynasty)， made of an entire timber frame. Later in 1049 A.D.， the first year of Huangyou of Northern Song Dynasty， the surface of the pagoda was covered with iron-colored glazed tiles， which made it look like an Iron Pagoda， hence its present name. The octagonalshaped pagoda has 13 floors with a height of 55.88 meters， the width of each side at the base is 4.16 meters， and it is decreasing from the base to the top levels. Although it was constructed of glazed bricks of different shapes and sizes， it looks very much like a huge wooden pillar， with carved patterns of Buddhas， flowers， human figures and legendary animals， all representing the highly developed workmanship of the Song Dynasty.

Apertures， tenons， gouges and slots on the bricks joined securely gave the pagoda enough strength to survive earthquakes， flood and destructive human efforts for over 900 years. The top of the pagoda affords a good view of the whole city of Kaifeng.

Xiangguo Temple

Located in the downtown area of Kaifeng city， Xiangguo temple is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in China. It was originally built in 555 AD during the Northern Qi Dynasty with a history of over 1，400 years. In the Northern Song Dynasty， the temple was enlarged many times and became the largest temple and the national Buddhist center at that time.

Coming here， you will be surprised at the magnificent architecture and the well-arranged layout of the temple. The existing structures were mainly built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The buildings include Mountain Gate， Paifang， Heavenly Kings Hall， Daxiongbaodian Hall (Hall of Sakyamuni)， Arhat Hall and Sutra Hall. They are set on the north-south central axis with some other annexes built symmetrically on both sides.

In addition， the temple holds annual activities like lantern exhibitions on the Lantern Festival， chrysanthemum exhibitions and the great prayer festival of water and land. On the occasion， pilgrims from home and abroad will assemble here to celebrate the holidays.

Kaifeng Food

Kaifeng was the capital of several dynasties， so the cooking culture is very rich and colorful. Famous dishes include Tongzi Ji (Spring Chicken)， Huangmen Yu (Braised Fish)， and mashed yam. You could sample the typical Kaifeng dishes at Youyixin Restaurant (in English it means ‘another new style restaurant’). Small Steamed Buns (Guan Tang Bao Zi) is a must taste dish whilst traveling in Kaifeng， and the most famous place to taste it is the No. 1 Building Restaurant of Kaifeng (Kaifeng Di Yi Lou). Besides the small steamed buns， there are also many snacks to be had in Kaifeng， such as Savory Pancake， Steamed Pea Flour Cake， or Peanut Cake. You could taste these snacks at Drum Tower Street and the Song Dynasty Imperial Street.

Drum Tower Street and Imperial Street of Song Dynasty are two famous food streets and night markets of Kaifeng. Drum Tower Street is the largest food street and night market of Kaifeng city. Several wooden restaurants and shops lining the pavement provide various kinds of snacks. The famous No.1 Building Restaurant (Di Yi Lou) is also located near here.

In Kaifeng， having a walk， bargaining at the night market， or tasting the snacks at Drum Tower Night Market or Imperial Street of Song Dynasty is the best entertainment choice after a day’s work or sightseeing.