Kaifeng ( ; Postal map spelling:
Kaifeng), formerly known as Bianliang ( ),
Bianjing ( ), Daliang ( ), or
simply Liang ( ), is a prefecture-level city in eastern
Henan
province, People's
Republic of China
. Located along the southern bank of the
Yellow
River
, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou
to the west, Xinxiang
to the
northwest, Shangqiu
to the east,
Zhoukou
to the southeast, Xuchang
to the
southwest, and the province of Shandong
to the
northeast.
Administration
The
prefecture-level city of
Kaifeng administers 5
districts
and 5
counties.
History
Kaifeng is one of the
Seven
Ancient Capitals of China. Like Beijing, there are many
reconstructions.
In 364 BC, the
state of Wei during the
Warring States Period founded
a city called Daliang as its capital in this area.
During this period,
the first of many canals in the area was constructed; it linked a
local river to the Huang
He
. When the State of Wei was conquered by the
Qin, Kaifeng was destroyed and abandoned
except for a mid-sized market town, which remained in its
place.
Early in
the 7th century, Kaifeng was transformed into a major commercial
hub when it was connected to the Grand Canal as well as a canal running
to western Shandong
Province
.
In 781 (
Tang Dynasty), a new city was
reconstructed and named Bian (汴). Bian was the capital of the
Later Jin
(936-946),
Later Han (947-950),
and
Later Zhou (951-960) of the
Five Dynasties
Period. The
Song Dynasty made Bian
its capital when it overthrew the Later Zhou in 960, and shortly
afterward, they further expanded the city.
During the
Song Dynasty, called Dongjing or Bianjing
then, Kaifeng was the capital with a population of
over 400,000, living both inside and outside the city wall.
Typhus was an acute problem of the
city.
In 1049, Youguosi Pagoda (佑國寺塔), or
Iron
Pagoda (鐵塔) as it is called today, was constructed, which
measures 54.7 m in height. It has survived the destruction of
wars and floodings and become the oldest landmark in this ancient
city. Another
Song Dynasty pagoda, Bo
Ta (繁塔), from 974, has been partially destroyed.
Games in the Jinming Pool, a late
11th or early 12th century painting depicting Kaifeng, by Zhang
Zerui.
Another well-known sight was the
astronomical clock
tower of the engineer, scientist, and statesman
Su Song (1020-1101 AD). It was crowned with a
rotating
armillary sphere that was
hydraulic-powered (i.e. by
waterwheel and
clepsydra
clock), yet it incorporated an
escapement mechanism two hundred years before
they were found in clockworks of
Europe, and
featured the first known endless power-transmitting
chain drive.
Kaifeng reached its peak of importance in the 11th century, when it
was a commercial and industrial center at the intersection of four
major canals. During this time, the city was surrounded by three
rings of city walls and probably had a population of 600,000 to
700,000.
It is believed that Kaifeng was the largest city in the world from
1013 to 1127.
[33470]
This period ended in 1127, when the city fell to
Jurchen invaders (see
Jingkang Incident) and came
subsequently under the rule of the
Jin Dynasty. While it remained an
important administrative center, only the city area inside the
inner city wall of the early Song Dynasty remained settled and the
two outer rings were abandoned.
One major problem associated with Kaifeng as the Imperial capital
of the
Song Dynasty was its location.
While it
was conveniently situated along the Grand
Canal for logistic supply, Kaifeng was militarily vulnerable
due to its position on the flood plains
of the Yellow
River.
Kaifeng served as the Jurchen's "southern capital" from 1157 (other
sources say 1161) and was reconstructed during this time.
[33471][33472] But they kept their main capital further
north, until 1214, when they were forced to move the imperial court
southwards to Kaifeng in order to flee the
Mongol onslaught. In 1234 they succumbed to combined
Mongol and
Song
Dynasty forces. Mongols took control, and in 1279 they
conquered all of China.
At the
beginning of the Ming
Dynasty
in 1368, Kaifeng was made the capital of Henan Province
.
In 1642, Kaifeng was flooded by the Ming army with water from
Yellow River to prevent the peasant rebel
Li
Zicheng from taking over. After this disaster, the city was
abandoned again.
Under the
celebrated Qing
emperor
Kangxi (1662), Kaifeng was
rebuilt. However, another flooding occurred in 1841,
followed by another reconstruction in 1843, which produced the
contemporary Kaifeng as we know it.
Kaifeng is also known for having the oldest extant
Jewish community in China, the
Kaifeng Jews.
It was here, too, that in 1969, the former Chairman of the People's
Republic of China
Liu Shaoqi, died in
prison from medical neglect.
Transportation
Culture
Kaifeng offers a wide range of food specialities such as steaming
pie and Chinese dumplings. In the evening, Kaifeng's streets turn
into restaurants while hundreds open their stands and begin selling
their food in the famous
night market.
Often
people from the nearby Zhengzhou come to Kaifeng to spend an evening with their
family as the atmosphere is very appealing. Less adventurous
Western tourists may prefer to eat inside the restaurants and just
have their drinks outside because they might not want to try
chicken feet, pork feet or bucks. Particularly famous is Kaifeng's
five-spice bread (wǔxiāng shāobǐng), which, like
pita, can be opened and filled.
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Kaifeng is
twinned with:
Colleges and universities
Public
See also
Further reading
References
External links
(杞县)
(兰考县)
(河南大学) (founded 1912)
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