China Travels

Featured Destination of the Week: Kaifeng

You may not know this, but there's so much more to China than the East Coast and Beijing. Tucked deep in the heart of the North China Plains is a city of extraordinary taste, of peculiar history, and a soft-spoken charm.

Entering the city from the Western Gates, where the remnants of the Old City Wall still stand, you'll immediately conclude, and rightly so, that this not a alpha world city. Beyond your first perception, if you have the eye to spot a diamond in the rough, this city's former glory unravels. The city, though small by modern Chinese standards, was the largest city in the world for over 500 years. It's streets, to this day are broad and straight as rulers; obviously the heritage of early urban planning. The entire city is made to follow a square grid, surrounded by a wall and a moat (still visible today). This ancient city still follows the division laid out in Imperial times which eases administration, prevents fires, aids enforcement: a kind of fire, police, and city council rolled into one.

Besides the logical and intricate planning, its history has bequeathed to Kaifeng a great number of cultural relics. The Great Temple of the Nation, the Dragon Pavilion, the Iron Pagoda, are sites that astound visitors not only with their beauty but also their amazing perseverance. The Iron Pagoda has stood in the same spot for over 1000 years, withstood floods, earthquakes, wars and the Cultural Revolution. At 17 stories high, this was the tallest free standing structure in Asia.

Aside from relics, it is still possible to see ancient Imperial architecture lining the streets of Kaifeng.

There are also numerous gardens, and exhibits that show off Kaifeng's history such as the Qingming Garden.

 Also, the Daxiangguosi, an extant Buddhist temple that's nearly 1000 years old, made renowned by Luo Guanzhong's "The Water Margins", is still open to practitioners of Buddhism or to visitors wanting to pray for good luck or health.








After a day of taking in the historic sites, spend the evening basking in the hospitality of the locals and enjoy the cuisine that is the synthesis of 1000 years of culinary traditional that's rooted in the Imperial Kitchen of the Song Dynasty. The Night Market is a place where people of all walks of life gather to enjoy good food, the company of friends, and to share relieve the stresses of daily work.

Some of the popular food include: steamed stuffed buns

 

Baked Sesame Pitas

  

Almond, Sweet Potato Drinks

 

And due its large Muslim population, Kaifeng has some of best lamb kebabs and halal foods

 

A few days in Kaifeng, and one is brought back to the idyllic old days of China, before the economic boom polluted the air and people's minds, where honesty and hospitality can be still expected from everyone.

Interesting fact: Kaifeng possess an small community of Jews; There are 20 Jewish families in Kaifeng, and they descend from traders who arrived in China via the Silk Road and settled there.