Under the Northern Song, Kaifeng — then called Dongjing — was the administrative and commercial centre of the richest state on earth, and by most reckonings the largest city anywhere. The famous handscroll Along the River During the Qingming Festival is a portrait of its streets: shops, bridges, boat traffic, crowds.
Then the Jurchen took the north in 1127, the court fled to Hangzhou, and the Yellow River did the rest — burying and re-burying the city under silt across centuries of floods, so that the Song city now lies metres beneath the modern one. Kaifeng today is a modest Henan city with an outsized past, and it receives almost no foreign visitors.
Getting there is now the easy part#
The Zhengzhou–Kaifeng intercity railway entered full operation in March 2025, putting Kaifeng station within about twenty-five minutes of Zhengzhou East at its fastest. Zhengzhou East is a hub on Henan's high-speed network and connects to Zhengzhou's own metro.
That changes what Kaifeng is for a traveller: not a detour, but a half-day or overnight add-on to a Zhengzhou or Luoyang leg.
How long you need#
A full day covers the essentials. An overnight is better if you want the night market properly, which is the part people remember.
The sights#
| Site | Chinese | Address | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millennium City Park | 清明上河园 | 开封市龙亭区龙亭西路5号 | Taxi or bus |
| Longting Park | 龙亭公园 | 开封市中山路北段 | Taxi or bus |
| Iron Pagoda Park | 铁塔公园 | 开封市顺河回族区北门大街210号 | Taxi or bus |
| Daxiangguo Temple | 大相国寺 | 开封市鼓楼区自由路西段36号 | Central, walkable |
| Kaifeng Prefecture | 开封府 | 开封市包公东湖北岸 | Taxi or bus |
The Iron Pagoda is the one genuine Song survivor on this list — an eleventh-century brick tower faced in glazed tiles the colour of rust, which is where the name comes from. It has stood through the floods that erased almost everything around it.
Daxiangguo Temple was the imperial monastery of the Song capital and is central enough to walk to.
Millennium City Park is a full-scale theme park recreating the world of the Qingming scroll — costumed performers, staged jousting, reconstructed streets. Treat it as what it is. Visitors who arrive expecting ruins are disappointed; visitors who arrive expecting a good-natured historical theme park generally enjoy it.
Longting Park and Kaifeng Prefecture are Qing and modern reconstructions on Song sites, the latter built around the legend of Judge Bao, a Song official who became one of Chinese folklore's incorruptible heroes.
Food#
Kaifeng's night market is one of the best street-food gatherings in central China, and the city's signature is guantangbao — soup dumplings that predate and, locals insist, outrank the Jiangnan versions. Peanut soup, almond tea and sesame cakes fill out the stalls. Eat here rather than in restaurants.
Frequently asked questions#
Is Kaifeng worth visiting?#
For anyone interested in Chinese history, yes — with the expectation set correctly. It is a reconstructed city with one great surviving pagoda and an excellent night market, and it is now twenty-five minutes from Zhengzhou East, so the cost of going is low.
Does Kaifeng have a metro?#
No. Kaifeng has no metro system. The intercity railway connects it to Zhengzhou's network, and within Kaifeng you use taxis and buses.
How do I get from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng?#
By the Zhengzhou–Kaifeng intercity railway, which reached full operation in March 2025 and takes about twenty-five minutes at its fastest from Zhengzhou East.
How many days do you need in Kaifeng?#
One full day for the sights. Stay a night if you want the night market without watching the clock.
What was Kaifeng the capital of?#
The Northern Song dynasty, from 960 to 1127, when it was known as Dongjing and was among the largest cities in the world.
For the dynasties behind all of this, see Chinese history for travellers; for booking the trains, the guide to transport in China.