Why the
Kaifeng historical sites
are special

Kaifeng has been an important player in Chinese history for over 2,300 years. Some important ancient sites remain, including the famed Iron Pagoda.

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Kaifeng
tips & insights

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Iron Pagoda

The city's number one attraction is the Iron Pagoda. This 55 meter (180 foot) high octagonal pagoda has a wooden frame. It was surfaced in 1049 with clay tiles that had been colorfully coated with an iron glaze (those tiles and the pagoda have been around ever since). Though the iron glaze is paper thin, the pagoda became known as the Iron Pagoda.

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Other major attractions

The city's leading historical attractions (besides the Iron Pagoda) are:

Dragon Pavilion (see photo)
Xiangguo Temple
Lord Bao Temple

The latter two date back to, respectively, the 6th and 12th centuries.

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Capital city

Kaifeng was the capital of seven different Chinese dynasties. No other city comes even close to that number.

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World's number one

During the 12th century, Kaifeng had an estimated population of one million. That number would have made it the largest city of its time in the world.

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Calamities

Kaifeng was devastated in 1642 when the retreating Ming Dynasty army opened the Yellow River flood gates to stop an invading force from the north. Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians reportedly drowned. The city has also acutely suffered from natural Yellow River floods.

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Jewish heritage

A colony of Jews settled in Kaifeng in the 12th century and had a close knit religious community with a busy synagogue until about the 19th century. In time, nearly all the Jews were assimilated by marriage into the Han culture.

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Nearest major city

Kaifeng is 71 kilometers (44 miles) east of Zhengzhou, the current capital of Henan province.

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Pronunciation guide

Kaifeng:   kye - f 'ung

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