Kaifeng, Henan province of China

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Kaifeng

October-November 2008

The city of Kaifeng is situated in 70 km to the east from Zhengzhou, administrative center of the Henan province. All guidebooks say that the population of Kaifeng is 4.7 million people. And only some of them add that the minority of the population — 800 thousand dwell in the city, whereas the rest — are rural residents, living somewhere nearby.

I want to tell you at once that I liked the city and I'm sorry that I spent there only one day.

The date of the city foundation is thought to be 364 B.C. Then the city was called Daliang and was a capital of the Wei kingdom. Since then Kaifeng used to become a capital several times, but last time it was in 1368, when it became a capital of the Henan province.

The most prosperous the city was in the XI century. Then it was called Bianliang, and it is now thought to be the most populated city in the world at that time — 600 — 700 thousand people, until 1127 when the Jurchen nation from the northern state Jin destroyed and plundered it. However, 30 years after, the rulers of Jin started to build here the «southern capital».

In addition to wars, diseases and plunder the city was flooded many times by the Huang He river, which caused destruction and death of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of residents.

> To see pictures (30)

Museum complex «old administration» of Kaifengfu

It was Kaifengfu but not Kaifeng that was the name of the city then. «Fu», very neatly, in Chinese means «government».

More details about this museum complex you my read here:
http://russian.cri.cn/1001/2008/11/21/1s265584.htm (in Russian)

And this is the official site of the museum: http://www.kaifengfu.cn

Button to the right, as it turned out, is the link to the English version of the site, and which, due to some reasons, was written in hieroglyphs and, which does not exist there at all.

Right under this line you may watch a video from the performance shown to the visitors of the museum, and a little bit below — 6 remaining with me pictures of the «old administration».

video 1

> To see pictures (6)

Yes, this «old administration» is situated near the hotel Jinyuan Kaiyue, in which I stayed.

Bao Zheng memorial temple

Bao Zheng (999 — 1062) became famous for his justice and honesty. He was born in the city of Hefei of the Anhui province. By 28 he completed his education and became an official, worked in different provincial courts. Only for 1,5 years from 1057 to 1058 Bao Zheng was the head and the judge in Kaifengfu , but thanks to his honesty, struggle with corruption among the ruling circles, he earned respect and immortality in the memory of the Chinese people.

At present days Bao Gong (Gong means prince) has become a hero of stories, films, TV serials and even a video game.

Memorial temple to Bao Zheng is situated on the western shore of the lake Bao.

> To see pictures (21)

Xiangguo Temple

Xiangguo Temple is situated in the western part of the Ziyou street (Freedom street). Built in 555, the temple as everything in Kaifeng was destroyed more than once by invaders and floods, rebuilt, reached prosperity and sank into oblivion. The temple got its present look in 1776.

> To see pictures (9)

Dragon Pavilion

During the rule of the Song dynasty (960-1279) the Pavilion was the Emperor's palace. It got its name thanks to the picture with 9 dragons in the middle of the going towards it staircase. Later the palace was rebuilt into a Daoist temple, then again rebuilt into a residence for prince Zhou of the Ming dynasty, and destroyed by the floods. Under the Emperor Shunzhi the complex was restored and was called the Dragon Pavilion.

It turns out that from October 18 till November 18 they hold a Chrysanthemum festival in Kaifeng. All city parks, including the park with the Dragon Pavilion, are beautifully and generously decorated with flowers.

Kaifeng has a twin city in Russia — Omsk.

> To see pictures (24)

Iron Pagoda

Iron Pagoda produced a strong impression on me. It was built in 1049, its height reaches 54.7 meters, roughly an 18 storied house. For almost 1000 years, the Pagoda withstood 38 earthquakes and 6 floods and remained in good shape.

At the foot of the Pagoda one can buy a ticket for 10 yuans that will let you inside. Along narrow circular stairs you can go up to the very top. It is desirable that there should be as few visitors as possible — it is very cramped inside!

Official site: http://www.kftieta.com

> To see pictures (18)

Jinyuan Kaiyue hotel

The Jinyuan Kaiyue hotel is situated in the southern part of the city on the shore of the lake Bao, very close to the «old administration» Kaifengfu. Half of the rooms have windows facing the lake, but they cost a little bit more.

I suspect that washed and laundered towels have not been replaced in that hotel since its construction.

2 nights of stay cost me 520 yuans (260 per day ($38 USD)). The hotel seemed to me almost empty. Well, when I returned to the hotel in the evening, the door to my room was not locked. Nothing has disappeared.

The part of the wall in the dining room on the 3rd floor consisted of aquariums with dull green glass, which contained frogs that were humbly waiting for their last hour in the belly of some visitor. Under the frogs there were two, seemingly dead, turtles. In other aquariums the crabs were sitting and the fish swimming.

> To see pictures (6)

Sections:

» Hello, China!
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» The Great Wall of China, Mutianyu section
» Zhengzhou
» Kaifeng
» Wuxi
» Shanghai
» Nanjing
» Jinan

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Beijing - The Great Wall of China - Kaifeng - Wuxi - Shanghai - Nanjing - Jinan

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