Looking out our hotel window, we watched the sun rise over historic Kaifeng. Kaifeng is a small city of about 4 million people. It was capital of China off and on between 907 and 1234 AD, but reached its peak of greatness during the Northern Song Dynasty between 960 and 1127 AD

This is the ground level view of the same buildings shown in the previous picture. It is the site of the Shan-Shaan-Gan Guildhall, which was built by merchants from Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu Provinces so they had a place to stay while in Kaifeng on business. What remains is only a small part of the original complex, which had living quarters, meeting rooms, and even a theater.

The guildhall is famous for the intricate decorations on its arches and buildings. These carvings of dragons, birds and flowers adorn the roof of the main hall at the back of the complex.

There is much disagreement about when the abacus appeared in China, but there is no doubt that it was used for many calculations during the time this guildhall was in use. The Chinese form of the abacus divides the counting beads into ranks of five on one side of the beam and two on the other. Chinese school children still learn how to use an abacus. If a school child can learn to use it, surely Lee can too...

Plum blossoms are a symbol of endurance in China, because they bloom in the winter. This particular flower is called la mei or winter sweet, and I'm not sure if it is related to plums or not. Mei is the Chinese name for plums, and this flower was definately blooming in the winter...In fact, they were blooming all over Kaifeng when we were there in January, and smelled incredibly sweet. Deanna took the opportunity to smell them whenever she saw them.

The entrance to the Song Dynasty Imperial Street is an interesting mixture of old and new. In the past, only the royal court could use this road, but now cars and bicycles traverse a road lined with historic restaurants, and shops selling Kaifeng's famous double sided embroidery. This embroidery is really beautiful, with a complete picture showing on both sides of the silk cloth. I don't know where they hide the knots!

At the end of the Imperial Street we come to the site of the ancient Imperial Palace. This structure is the Dragon Pavilion, and you must climb 72 steps to get to the top. Of course, nobody walks on the dragon pavement in the center, which was reserved for the emperor's sedan chair. There are layers of ruins under this site, marking the successive dynasties that built their capital here. Two stones on display at the top of the pavilion were part of the foundation of the Northern Song Dynasty Palace that graced this spot 1000 years ago.

Once you have climbed those 72 steps, you are treated to the spectacle of this golden throne decorated with cranes and dragons. The dragon is a symbol of the emperor, and the crane is a symbol of long life. From up here you get a good view of the two lakes that flank the Dragon Pavilion. The lakes are named for two families in the Song Dynasty, Yang and Pan. The Yang family's honesty and loyalty was well known and the clear water in Yang Lake was supposed to reflect this reputation. On the other hand, the Pan family was tricky and treacherous like the muddy Pan Lake.

The landscape surrounding the Dragon Pavilion includes the two previously mentioned lakes as well as many special gardens. This unique gate leads to a penjing, or bonsai, garden. We dearly love the Chinese moon doors in all their variations. Notice the shape of this one echoed in the pavement in front of it.

This park was created by a retired official as a gift to Kaifeng. Besides the scenery you see here, the park contains a building filled with copies of Chinese stone steles of both calligraphy and pictures, and a replica of the home of the loyal Yang family, of clear lake fame.

At the same park, Lee and Deanna got to try out a traditional irrigation method. As we push the water wheel with our feet, buckets on the side of the wheel scoop water out of the lake and then pour it into a wooden chute. Since this model was just for demonstration purposes, the chute just emptied back into the lake. But if we were actually using it to irrigate a field, we could aim the chute to deliver the water wherever we needed it.

These figures commemorate Bao Zheng, commonly called Lord Bao in English. He was a judge during the Northern Song Dynasty renouned for strictly upholding justice and defending the common people. The golden choppers in front of him are tokens of his authority from the emperor. He was authorized to punish even high ranking officials without having to get imperial permission.

The Iron Pagoda is probaby the best known landmark in Kaifeng. The original structure was built of wood in 982 AD, but it burned and was replaced in 1049. This new tower was built of brown-glazed brick that looks like rusty iron, so it has been called the Iron Pagoda since the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)

The Iron Pagoda is octagonal and is 13 stories tall. Deanna cranes her neck to see the top, 182.5 feet up. This is the oldest color-glazed brick tower still standing in China.

Though not as famous as some walls in China, Kaifeng also has an ancient city wall. The gates in the wall have all been reconstructed, but the wall itself, visible on each side of the gate, is original. In this picture you can also see vendors along the road selling food, door decorations and fireworks as people prepare for the New Year celebration.

This structure is called both PoTa Tower and FanTa Tower. It is the oldest building in Kaifeng, having been built in 974 AD. It seems that it should be famous, but it is actually hard to find, nestled in a local neighborhood at the end of a winding alley, with no surrounding park of any kind. It is covered with carved square tiles inside and out, and was originally 180.7 feet tall. However, Kaifeng is only 6.2 miles from the Yellow River and has suffered catastrophic floods over the years, leaving 76.8 feet of the tower buried in silt.

Copyright 2006, Dr. Lee Williams

Last Modified:19 March 2006

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