Stand on the long bridge over Yangjia Lake and the Dragon Pavilion sits at the end of the axis, with the water on both sides and the old city wall behind you. That single view explains Kaifeng better than any plaque: a Song-dynasty capital whose monuments were rebuilt, buried and rebuilt again, still arranged along the same line.
Kaifeng suits travellers who are interested in dynastic history, temple architecture and street life rather than nightlife or shopping. Most of the sights sit inside or just outside the old city wall, and several of the best of them are within walking distance of each other.
This guide covers the landmarks, temples, pagodas, parks and museums worth your time, followed by a plan for a single day and answers to the questions visitors ask most often.
Top things to do in Kaifeng
1. Iron Pagoda
Built in 1049, this 13-storey octagonal pagoda takes its name from the brown glazed tiles covering its exterior, which give it the appearance of iron. It is the oldest landmark in the city and has survived war and floods. You can climb it using the internal stairs; there is no viewing platform, just a dead end at the top, but there are several windows along the way and interesting bricks to look at. It is not a good choice if you are claustrophobic.
There is a Buddhist temple and a small lake near the pagoda, so allow time for the grounds as well as the climb. A city bus to the Yellow River leaves from near the northern entrance to the pagoda park.
2. Dragon Pavilion
The area around Dragon Pavilion was the site of the Ming dynasty palace of Prince Zhou. The palace was destroyed by floods in the late Ming period, leaving only foundations buried five metres under modern Kaifeng, but the city walls were later built along the same axis. At the southern end of the street leading to the pavilion stands a reconstructed Wu gate, and the rest of the street is lined with old buildings. A long bridge divides Yangjia Lake and leads to the pavilion itself.
Much the same view of the pavilion and lake can be had by walking around the right side of the lake without buying a ticket. The pavilion is at the northern end of Zhongshan Road.
3. Daxiangguo Temple
This temple was built in AD 555 during the Qi Dynasty, with new buildings added in 1661 and 1766. The complex has 64 temples, but the three main halls are of greatest interest. In the large rectangular Tathagata Hall, monks perform daily chanting rituals in front of three huge Buddhas: an impressive bronze Sakyamuni in the middle, Amitabha on the left and the Medicine Buddha on the right. Behind them is a Goddess of Mercy standing on a dragon's head, and rising to the roof are heavenly figures supported on clouds. Along the side are sculptures of Arhats, including one with an abnormally long arm reaching almost to the roof.
The octagonal Arhat Hall houses a four-sided golden Avalokitesavara said to be carved from a single tree over 50 years, with six main arms and a thousand others radiating outward with an eye in each palm. The rear Tripitaka Hall holds sutras upstairs and, downstairs, a white Burmese jade Buddha and a glass replica of the Emerald Buddha in Thailand's Grand Palace. All halls have a no-photo policy. The temple is on Ziyou Road.
4. Kai-Feng-Fu
This is the reconstructed seat of the Kaifeng Prefecture, the governmental entity of the capital during the Song dynasty. It sits on Guanqian Street in Gulou District, northwest of Kaifeng Mansion. Opening hours vary by season: spring, summer and autumn 07:30-19:00, winter 07:00-18:30.
Combine it with Yanqing Taoist Temple, which is also northwest of Kaifeng Mansion and a short walk away.
5. Yanqing Taoist Temple
A small temple containing a two-storey pagoda with a blue glazed tile balcony and painted carvings on the front gate. It is on Guanqian Street in Gulou District, northwest of Kaifeng Mansion.
Because it is small, it works well as a short stop between Kai-Feng-Fu and the rest of the Gulou District sights rather than as a destination on its own.
6. Baogong Memorial Temple
A temple built to honour Lord Bao, on the shore of Baogong Lake in Gulou District. Buses 1 and 20 stop nearby.
It sits on the edge of Baogong Lake, so you can pair it with a walk along the water. Kaifengfujian Street is also set on the edge of the lake.
7. Po Pagoda
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. It is one of the two surviving Song-dynasty pagodas in the city, the other being the Iron Pagoda. Tourists seldom visit.
It can be climbed if the internal stairway's gate is unlocked that day, so treat the climb as a possibility rather than a certainty. It is on Po Ta West Road in Yuwangtai District.
8. Kaifeng Museum
A large museum in the new part of Kaifeng, with exhibitions of paintings, stelae and bronze. There is an exhibition on Song technology that includes a life-size copy of a water-powered observatory, and a room dedicated to the painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival showing Song-era Kaifeng. The original painting is not in Kaifeng, but there are several old copies and a well-made multimedia version.
It is at the intersection of 6th Street and Zhengkai Avenue in Longting District, reached by bus nos. 36, 44, 57 and K101. It closes on Mondays and there is no entry after 16:00, so go earlier in the day.
9. Kaifeng Qingming River Garden
A large historical and cultural park with Song culture as its theme, built on the model of the Northern Song painter Zhang Zeduan's work Along the River During the Qingming Festival. The grounds contain a large-scale complex of Song-style ancient architecture, with ancient ships and landscaped construction.
It is on West Longting Road in Longting District and is open 08:30-22:00. Note that Millennium City Park is a separate park based on the same painting, so decide which of the two you want rather than assuming they are the same place.
10. Millennium City Park
This park is also based on the Song Dynasty painting Going Upriver for Qingming Festival, illustrating Song Dynasty daily life, shops and workshops. Copies of the painting can be bought in the park; the original can be seen in the Forbidden City in Beijing.
It is at 5 Longting West Road in Longting District, reached by bus 1, 15 or 20, and is open 09:00-22:00. The evening hours make it a reasonable choice for the end of a day.
11. 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 centre for shops selling books, paper and pens. Carved doors, shuttered windows and painted roof beams peek out from between oversized billboards, but plenty of facade remains visible to give a feeling of the old street.
Walk it north from Gulou Square, which puts you at the southern end of the street leading towards Dragon Pavilion.
12. The city wall
The old city walls surround the city and are punctuated at various points with gates. The North gate and Little South gate, at either end of Jiefeng Road, resemble the arched gates in Xi'an; the other gates are merely gaps in 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. This is one of the few ways to read the city's fabric directly rather than through a reconstruction.
13. Site of Kaifeng Synagogue
Esther Guo Yan is a descendant of Kaifeng Jews, who moved to Kaifeng via India in the Northern Song Dynasty around 1,000 years ago. She is a former Chinese teacher who now works full time at the Kaifeng Jewish History Memorial Center to preserve and restore Jewish culture in the city. She tells the story of 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.
Call her mobile before you go; she is passionate about her cause and eager to share her stories. The site is at 21 South Jiaojing Hutong. Contributions go towards her cause.
14. China Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Cultural Festival
Held from 28 October to 28 November, this festival celebrates the chrysanthemum, the city flower of Kaifeng. If your trip falls in late autumn, plan around it rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Because it runs for a month, it overlaps with the cooler end of the year, when the seasonal opening hours at Kai-Feng-Fu shift to the winter schedule.
15. Yellow River
The Yellow River runs along the city's southern bank, and a trip out to it makes a change from the walled city. Besides taxis, there is a city bus which leaves from near the northern entrance to Iron Pagoda park.
Pair it with the Iron Pagoda, since the bus leaves from beside the pagoda park.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Daxiangguo Temple on Ziyou Road, where the three main halls and the Arhat Hall are the highlights and the morning chanting takes place. Then walk Shudian Jie north from Gulou Square towards the old city centre.
Afternoon. Continue to Dragon Pavilion at the northern end of Zhongshan Road and take the long bridge over Yangjia Lake. If you would rather not buy a ticket, walk around the right side of the lake for much the same view. Follow it with the Iron Pagoda, climbing the internal stairs if you are comfortable with confined spaces, and look at the Buddhist temple and small lake nearby.
Evening. Finish at Millennium City Park on Longting West Road, which stays open until 22:00 and shows Song Dynasty daily life, shops and workshops. If your visit falls between 28 October and 28 November, check the China Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Cultural Festival instead.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the chrysanthemums?
The China Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Cultural Festival runs from 28 October to 28 November. The chrysanthemum is the city flower of Kaifeng.
Can I climb the pagodas?
Yes at the Iron Pagoda, using the internal stairs; there is no viewing platform, just a dead end at the top, and it is not suitable if you are claustrophobic. At Po Pagoda you can climb only if the internal stairway's gate is unlocked that day.
Which day should I avoid for the museum?
Kaifeng Museum is closed on Mondays, and there is no entry after 16:00. It is open 09:00-17:00 on other days.
How do I get to the Yellow River?
Besides taxis, there is a city bus which leaves from near the northern entrance to Iron Pagoda park.
Pick your dates around the chrysanthemum festival or the winter opening hours, then build your days outward from the wall and the lake.