Kāifēng Fǔ

Henan


This reconstructed site of the government offices of the Northern Song has daily theatricals commencing outside the gates – the doors are thrown open and costumed actors play period scenes, complete with cracking whips and the sound of gongs. Drumming, kung-fu displays and Chinese-language plays are staged inside throughout the day. Drama aside, the site is one of Kaifeng's better recreations of Song imperial life, with English explanations, martial parade grounds, a prison and several appearances by the famed Judge Bao.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Henan attractions

1. Temple of the Chief Minister

0.43 MILES

First founded in AD 555, this frequently rebuilt temple vanished along with Kaifeng in the early 1640s, when rebels breached the Yellow River’s dykes…

2. Kaifeng Drum Tower

0.6 MILES

Built in 1379, Kaifeng's drum tower was originally located west of here and this site belonged to the bell tower. In the late Ming dynasty, a sickly…

3. Shanshangan Guild Hall

0.67 MILES

This tiny, elaborately styled guild hall was built as a lodging and meeting place during the Qing dynasty by an association of merchants from Shanxi (山西),…

4. Kaifeng City Walls

0.83 MILES

Kaifeng is ringed by a relatively intact, much-restored Qing dynasty wall, which you can climb up at various points. There's precious little to see from…

5. Longting Park

1 MILES

Site of the former imperial palace, this park is mostly gardens and a lake, into which hardy swimmers plunge in winter. Reached by a bridge, you can climb…

6. Po Pagoda

1.6 MILES

This stumpy pagoda from 974 is the oldest Buddhist structure in Kaifeng and was originally a nine-storey hexagonal building, typical of the Northern Song…

7. Iron Pagoda Park

2.27 MILES

Kaifeng's most iconic landmark is a magnificent 11th-century Iron Pagoda (55m tall) at the centre of a pleasant park. The gorgeous, glazed-brick edifice,…

8. Kaifeng Museum

5.38 MILES

Housed in a colossal fortress 10km west of town, the Kaifeng Museum contains a modest collection of archaeological finds, woodblock prints and historical…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "china/henan/kaifeng/attractions/kaifeng-fu/a/poi-sig/1437484/355986",
      "destination": "Henan",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "China",
      "region": "Henan",
      "position": "superzone"
    }