As of the2020 census, 4,824,016 people lived in Kaifeng's Prefecture, of whom 1,735,581 lived in the metropolitan area consisting of Xiangfu, Longting, Shunhe Hui, Gulou and Yuwantai Districts. Located along theYellow River's southern bank, it borders the provincial capital ofZhengzhou to the west,Xinxiang to the northwest,Shangqiu to the east,Zhoukou to the southeast,Xuchang to the southwest, andHeze ofShandong to the northeast.[6]
Thepostal romanization for the city is "Kaifeng". Its official one-character abbreviation in Chinese is汴 (Biàn). Historically it has also been known as:
The area was named "Kaifeng" after theQin'sconquest of China in the second century BC. The name literally means "opening the border" and figuratively "hidden" and "vengeance".[8] Its name was originally Qifeng (Chinese:啓封), but the syllableqi (Baxter-Sagart: /*kʰˤijʔ/) was changed to the essentially synonymouskai (/*Nə-[k]ʰˤəj/, /*[k]ʰˤəj/) to avoid thenaming taboo of Liu Qi (Emperor Jing of Han).
The famous paintingAlong the River During the Qingming Festival is believed by some to portray life in Kaifeng onQingming Festival. Several versions exist – the above is an 18th-century recreation – of an original attributed to the 12th-century artistZhang Zeduan.The city of Kaifeng (Dongjing, Bianliang) in Northern Song dynastyOuter city of Bianjing (Kaifeng), Yuan dynasty map fromShilin Guangji byChen Yuanjing
During theSpring and Autumn period, there existed two ancient cities in the vicinity of Kaifeng, one is calledYi (仪邑) built by theWey state and one isQifeng (啟封), built byDuke Zhuang of Zheng south of the present-day city. Wey was later annexed by thestate of Wei.
During theWarring States period, the lords of the state of Wei held the title of King of therealm of Liang (梁王, Liángwáng). In 361 BC,King Hui of Wei relocated the Wei capital from the city of An (安邑) to Yi where he built the city ofDaliang (大梁). Thereafter, the Wei state was called Liang. During this period, the first of many canals in the area was constructed linking a local river to theYellow River. When theState of Qin conquered the State of Wei, Daliang was destroyed and abandoned except for a mid-sized market town, which was renamedJunyi (浚儀).[10][11]
During theHan dynasty, Junyi was the capital of theKingdom of Liang ruled byLiu Wu (son of Han emperorWen) when he was enfeoffed as Prince of Liang. Liu Wu restored the old city walls and constructed many buildings. Daliang became a center of music, art, a refuge for artists, and of splendid gardens despite the trivial political importance of the city at this period.[12]Emperor Jing of Han changed the name of the city of Qifeng toKaifeng (開封) because of a naming taboo. During the Eastern Han era, the Kingdom of Liang was changed to Liang County, and part of it became theChenliu Commandery (陳留郡) but was re-established as a principality during the Cao Wei and Jin dynasty. In 202,Cao Cao repaired the Suiyang Canal in Junyi, opening the Bian River to the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers. The canal's completion allowed grain transport northbound from the Yangtze and Huaihe River regions, and Junyi, strategically located at a waterway and land junction, saw an economic recovery.
Early in the 7th century, the old city of Daliang, now calledBianzhou (汴州城) was transformed into a major commercial hub when it was connected to theGrand Canal as well as through the construction of a canal running to westernShandong.[13] In 781 during theTang dynasty, a new city wall with a circumference of 22 li was constructed by Bianzhou's governorLi Mian. Meanwhile the old city of Kaifeng (Qifeng) declined in prominence and later abandoned. The ruins of Qifeng can be found near today'sZhuxian town.
During theFive Dynasties period,Emperor Taizu of Liang established his capital in Bianzhou, calling itDongdu (東都) or Eastern Capital (the previous Tang dynasty's eastern capital wasLuoyang). Dongdu was the capital of the successive dynasties ofLater Jin (936–946),Later Han (947–950), andLater Zhou (951–960). In 955, the city underwent further expansion asEmperor Shizong of Zhou mobilized 100,000 civilians to build an outer city. TheSong dynasty made Bian its capital when it overthrew the Later Zhou in 960, renamed it the Eastern Capital of Bianliang (東京汴梁), orDongjing (東京).
During the Song dynasty, the governmental entity of the capital was the Kaifeng Prefecture (Kaifeng Fu, 開封府) and it was the only prefecture of the Capital Region (Jingji Lu, 京畿路). In 1010,Xiangfu County was established under Kaifeng Prefecture, so the region was also calledXiangfu (祥符).
Kaifeng-Dongjing became largest and most prosperous city in China, was the capital, with a population of over 400,000 living both inside and outside the city wall. The historianJacques Gernet provides a lively picture of life in this period in hisDaily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250-1276, which often draws onDongjing Meng Hua Lu, a nostalgic memoir of the city.[14]
According to theDongjing Menghualu: "Outside Donghua Gate, the market was bustling... All manners of food, seasonal fruits and flowers, fish, shrimp, turtle, crab, quail and rabbit jerky, cured meats, gold, jade, and treasures, as well as clothings, were the finest in the world. The taste was exquisite, and if a customer requested a dozen or so dishes to go with their wine, they would be readily available".
In addition to daytime trading, there were also night markets and dawn markets. The main street of Dongjing was called the Imperial Street (御街). There were patrol stations located every two or three hundred steps, the patrolmen directed pedestrian and vehicle traffic during the day, and guarded government offices and merchants' residences at night. The city's restaurants (fencha 分茶), taverns (wasi 瓦肆) and theaters (goulan 勾阑) could accommodate and entertain thousands of people. Daily performances included storytelling, singing, puppet shows, dance and acrobatics. The Northern Song painterZhang Zeduan's paintingAlong the River During the Qingming Festival depicts the bustling scenery of the capital and the banks of the Bian River during theQingming Festival.
Typhus was an acute problem in the city. In third year of Chunhua (992), a plague swept through the city with a massive death toll.
In 1049, theIron Pagoda of Youguo Temple (佑國寺塔) was constructed, measuring 54.7 m (179 ft) in height. It has survived the vicissitudes of war and floods to become the oldest landmark in this ancient city. Another Song-dynasty pagoda,Po Pagoda [zh], dating from 974, has been partially destroyed.
Games in the Jinming Pool, an early 12th-century painting depicting Kaifeng, byZhang Zeduan.
Dongjing reached its peak importance in the 11th century as 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 between 600,000 and 700,000. It is believed that it was the largest city in the world from 1013 to 1127.[15]
This period ended in 1127 when the city fell toJurchen Jin invaders during theJingkang Incident. The JurchenJin dynasty's emperor ordered all the assets and captured prisoners, including the Song imperial family and officials, to be taken back to the Jin capital – Shangjing (near present-dayHarbin). PrinceZhao Gou escaped and moved the remaining Song court toJiankang. The Jurchens retreated during the year but the Song court never moved back to Bianliang. Dongjing was renamedBianjing (汴京). It was captured by the Jurchens again in 1130 and became the capital of a Han-ruled puppet state called Great Qi（大齊）until 1138. It subsequently came under the direct rule of the Jin dynasty, which had conquered most ofNorth China during theJin–Song Wars.[16] The city fell into ruin, with only the area inside the inner city wall of the early Song remained settled and the two outer rings were abandoned.Fan Chengda, while on a diplomatic mission to the Jin court, described that "The new city was mostly in ruins, some places being plowed for fields. The old city was dotted with shops, all of which were just surviving...old palaces, temples, all of them were in ruins".
In 1153, the Jin dynasty built aCentral Capital (中都大興府) in Daxing Prefecture (today's Beijing) and make Bianjing theSouthern Capital (Nanjing-南京), the secondary capital of the Jin Dynasty. Nanjing was administered by the Kaifeng Prefecture of Nanjing Circuit.
From 1211,Genghis Khan led his troops to attack the Jin dynasty several times. In 1214,Emperor Xuanzong of Jin moved the imperial court southwards to Nanjing-Kaifeng, relying on the Yellow River defense line to resist the Mongols. In 1233, Kaifeng fell to Mongol forces after a10 months siege. The city was looted and Jin royal family members were captured and massacred.[17][18]
During the Mongol-ruledYuan dynasty, Bianliang became the capital ofHenan Jiangbei Province, which was established in 1268. In 1260,Marco Polo arrived at Kaifeng, and wrote about it in his diaries.
East Market Street, Kaifeng, 1910. Thesynagogue of theKaifeng Jews lay beyond the row of stores on the right
From 1358 to 1359, the city was briefly captured by theRed Turban rebels led byLiu Futong andHan Lin'er, who proclaimed emperor of the restored Song. They were crushed by the Yuan forces. In 1368, Bianliang was captured by theMing dynasty and was reverted back to the old name Kaifeng. During the reign of theHongwu Emperor, Kaifeng Prefecture was designated as the secondary Northern Capital of the Ming dynasty, bearing the name ofBeijing, in anticipation of the construction of the new capital Zhongdu inFengyang. In 1378, the Zhongdu project was abolished and Kaifeng Prefecture became the capital of Henan province. Kaifeng remained the capital of Henan from Ming to the early years of the People's Republic. It was until 1954 that the capital of Henan province was moved to Zhengzhou. In 1410, the Yellow River flooded, destroying the city and killing 14,000 households.[19]
Kaifeng was conveniently situated along theGrand Canal for logistics supply but militarily vulnerable due to its position on the floodplains of the Yellow River. Five major floods devastated the city between 1375 and 1416, and flooding occurred more than 300 times from the Southern Song Dynasty to the late Qing dynasty.
Map of Kaifeng (K'ai-feng) in 1950s
In 1642,Li Zicheng's rebels attacked Kaifeng three times. During the third siege,Kaifeng was flooded by the Ming army with water from the Yellow River to drown the rebels. The entire city was submerged in several feet deep water. Only 30,000 of the 370,000 people in the city survived. After this disaster, the city was abandoned again. In 1662, during the reign of theKangxi Emperor in theQing dynasty, Kaifeng was rebuilt. Another reconstruction in 1843 followed the flood of 1841, shaping Kaifeng as it stands today.
From June 1938 to August 1945, the city was occupied by the invadingJapanese Imperial Army. In 1948, theBattle of Kaifeng occurred between Chinese communist forces and Chinese Nationalist forces but ultimately lead to a PLA Victory and the collapse of the Nationalist forces.
In October 1954, the capital of Henan province was moved from Kaifeng to Zhengzhou. In September 1983, Kaifeng City (开封市) was formed on the basis of former prefectures and districts.
Kaifeng has amonsoon-influencedhumid subtropical climate (KöppenCwa) that borders on a humid continental climate, with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool and mostly dry while summers are hot and humid; spring is warm and sees some, but not much rainfall, while autumn weather is crisp and drier. Precipitation mainly occurs from June to September. Extreme temperatures in the city since 1951 have ranged from −16 °C (3 °F) on December 27, 1971, to 42.9 °C (109 °F) on June 19, 1966.[22]
Climate data for Kaifeng, elevation 74 m (243 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1966–present)
One of Kaifeng's manywomen's mosquesSacred Heart Cathedral, Kaifeng
Kaifeng is known for having the oldest extant Jewish community in China, theKaifeng Jews.
It also has a significantMuslim enclave and is notable for its manywomen's mosques (nǚsì), including the oldestnǚsì in China: Wangjia Hutong Women's Mosque, which dates to 1820.[29]
There are also some active Christian churches, including theSacred Heart Cathedral (开封耶稣圣心主教座堂).
Kaifeng offers a wide range of food specialties such as steamed pie and dumplings. Particularly famous is Kaifeng's five-spice bread (wǔxiāng shāobǐng), which, likepita, can be opened and filled. In the evening, Kaifeng's streets turn into restaurants while hundreds open their stands and begin selling their food in the famousnight market. People from nearbyZhengzhou often come to Kaifeng to visit family members and to enjoy the atmosphere.
TheMa Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House (马豫兴桶子鸡;;Mǎ Yùxīng Tǒngzi Jī), located in Kaifeng, is by some accounts the world's oldest restaurant.
Thechrysanthemum is the city flower of Kaifeng. The tradition of cultivating varieties of chrysanthemums extends back 1600 years, and the scale of cultivation reached its height during the Song dynasty until its loss to theJürchens in 1126.
The city has held the Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Cultural Festival since 1983 (renamed China Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Cultural Festival in 1994). The festival has since taken place between 18 October and 18 November of every year.
The festival reached another milestone on 18 October 2012, when it celebrated its 30th birthday.[31] The opening ceremony was broadcast live during the evening prime slot onHenan Television (HNTV), which broadcasts to all Chinese cities at or above theprefecture level.
During the festival, hundreds of chrysanthemums breeds are on show at festival venues, and the flower becomes a common features around the city. Kaifeng has been dubbed the "city of chrysanthemums".
TheChina Zheng-Kai International Marathon[Wikidata] (中国郑开国际马拉松赛,Zheng-Kai stands for "Zhengzhou-Kaifeng", also abbreviated "ZK") is a sporting event hosted jointly by theChinese Athletic Association, the general sport administration of Henan province, Zhengzhou municipal government, and the Kaifeng municipal government. It is the premier international sports competition in Henan province and one of the biggest sports competitions in the Central-West of China. ZK International Marathon is held at the end of March or beginning of April each year. The main part of the event occurs along the famous Zhengkai Express Way (郑开大道). At its launch in 2007, 5600 athletes competed. By 2012, almost 25000 athletes from 28 countries and regions have participated in the ZK International Marathon.
According to theSeventh National Census in 2020, the city's Permanent Population (hukou) was 4,824,016.[33] Compared with the 4,676,159 people in theSixth National Census in 2010, the total number of people increased by 147,857 over the decade, an increase of 3.16 percent, with an average annual growth rate of 0.31 percent.[33]
^高, 建军."开封：传千年文脉 建文化名都" [Kaifeng: Inheriting a Millennium of Cultural Heritage, Building a Renowned Cultural Capital].中共中央党史和文献研究院 (in Chinese). 《学习时报》.
^开封市人民政府."开封概览" [Overview of Kaifeng].开封市人民政府 (in Chinese). 开封市: 开封日报社.
^焦, 健 (2015) [2015年06月18日17:19]."中国八大古都_共产党员网" [China's eight ancient capitals_Communist Party website].www.12371.cn. Retrieved2024-05-31.
^陈, 玥 (2024) [02.07 09:10]."地上有"地下悬河" 地下"城摞城"：开封"城摞城"揭秘" [Underground Hanging River’ Underground “City Stacked on City”: Kaifeng “City Stacked on City” Uncovered].www.cctv.com (in Chinese). 新华社. Retrieved2024-05-31 – via 国家地理.
^李晨翀, 晨翀 (2019) [2019-10-10 22:01:14]."【寻访大运河文化带开封篇一】一城宋韵半城水" [The Grand Canal Cultural Belt in Kaifeng: A City of Song Rhythm and Half a City of Water].yunhe.china.com.cn (in Chinese). 开封网. Retrieved2024-05-31.
^Schellinger, Paul; Salkin, Robert, eds. (1996).International Dictionary of Historic Places, Volume 5: Asia and Oceania. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. p. 420.ISBN1-884964-04-4.
^贾兵强, 兵强 (2023) [2023-01-10]."大运河走向与沿河城市的兴衰" [The Direction of the Grand Canal and the Rise and Fall of Cities Along the River].5g.dahe.cn. 大河网. Retrieved2024-05-31.
^Jacques Gernet.Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250-1276. (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1962). Translated by H. M. Wright.ISBN0804707200.
Cotterell, Arthur. (2007).The Imperial Capitals of China: An Inside View of the Celestial Empire. London: Pimlico. pp. 304 pages.ISBN978-1-84595-009-5.
The Origin of the Kaifeng Jews, in S. Shaked, ed.,Irano-Judaica, Jerusalem, 1982, pp. 101–11
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