Kaifeng#History

The postal romanization for the city is "Kaifeng". Its official one-character abbreviation in Chinese is {{lang|zh|汴}} (Biàn). Historically it has also been known as:

• Dàliáng ({{lang-zh|c=大梁}})
• Biànliáng ({{lang-zh|labels=no |c=汴梁}})
• Biànzhōu ({{lang-zh|labels=no |c=汴州}})
• Nánjīng ({{lang-zh|labels=no |c={{linktext|南京}}}}), from its status as the Jurchen Jin's southern capital and not to be confused with modern-day Nanjing
• Dōngjīng ({{lang-zh|labels=no |t=東京}})
• Biànjīng ({{lang-zh|labels=no |c=汴京}})

The area was named "Kaifeng" after the Qin's conquest of China in the second century BC. The name literally means "opening the border" and figuratively "hidden" and "vengeance".{{cite book |script-title=zh:中国古今地名大辞典 |year=2005 |location=Shanghai |publisher=Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House |page=348 |language=zh-hans}} Its name was originally Qifeng ({{lang-zh|t=啓封}}), but the syllable qi (Baxter-Sagart: /*kʰˤijʔ/) was changed to the essentially synonymous kai (/*Nə-[k]ʰˤəj/, /*[k]ʰˤəj/) to avoid the naming taboo of Liu Qi (Emperor Jing of Han).

The prefecture-level city of Kaifeng administers five districts and four counties:

• Gulou District
• Longting District
• Yuwangtai District
• Xiangfu District
• Shunhe Hui District
• Weishi County
• Qi County
• Tongxu County
• Lankao County

{{multiple image

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| image1 = Kaifeng in Northern Song Dynasty d.jpg

| image2 = Model of Kaifeng in Northern Song Dynasty a.jpg

| footer= Model diorama of Kaifang in the Northern Song dynasty

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File:QingmingshangHetu.jpg is believed by some to portray life in Kaifeng on Qingming Festival. Several versions exist – the above is an 18th-century recreation – of an original attributed to the 12th-century artist Zhang Zeduan.]]

File:Kaifeng in Northern Song.jpg

File:Txu-oclc-10552568-ni50-5-back.jpg

File:Outer city of Bianjing.JPG by Chen Yuanjing]]

Kaifeng is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China. As with Beijing, there have been many reconstructions during its history.{{Cite web |last=焦 |first=健 |year=2015 |orig-date=2015年06月18日17:19 |title=中国八大古都_共产党员网 |trans-title=China's eight ancient capitals_Communist Party website |url=https://www.12371.cn/2015/06/18/ARTI1434618611228380.shtml |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.12371.cn}}

In 364 BC during the Warring States period, the State of Wei founded a city called Daliang ({{lang|zh-hant|大梁}}) as its capital in this area. During this period, the first of many canals in the area was constructed linking a local river to the Yellow River. When the State of Qin conquered the State of Wei, Kaifeng was destroyed and abandoned except for a mid-sized market town, which remained in place.{{Cite web |last=陈 |first=玥 |year=2024 |orig-date=02.07 09:10 |title=地上有"地下悬河" 地下"城摞城"：开封"城摞城"揭秘 |trans-title=Underground Hanging River’ Underground “City Stacked on City”: Kaifeng “City Stacked on City” Uncovered |url=https://www.cctv.com/geography/news/20020207/6.html |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.cctv.com |publisher=新华社 |language=zh |via=国家地理}}{{Cite web |last=李晨翀 |first=晨翀 |year=2019 |orig-date=2019-10-10 22:01:14 |title=【寻访大运河文化带开封篇一】一城宋韵半城水 |trans-title=The Grand Canal Cultural Belt in Kaifeng: A City of Song Rhythm and Half a City of Water |url=http://yunhe.china.com.cn/2019-10/10/content_40916547.htm |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=yunhe.china.com.cn |publisher=开封网 |language=zh}}

During the Han dynasty, the city underwent some reconstruction. Kaifeng became the capital of Liu Wu (son of Han emperor Wen) when he was enfeoffed as Prince of Liang. Liu Wu restored and constructed many buildings and old city walls. Kaifeng 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.{{Cite book |title=International Dictionary of Historic Places, Volume 5: Asia and Oceania |publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers |year=1996 |isbn=1-884964-04-4|editor-last=Schellinger|editor-first=Paul |location=Chicago |pages=420|editor-last2=Salkin|editor-first2=Robert}}

Early in the 7th century, Kaifeng was transformed into a major commercial hub when it was connected to the Grand Canal as well as through the construction of a canal running to western Shandong.{{Cite web |last=贾兵强 |first=兵强 |year=2023 |orig-date=2023-01-10 |title=大运河走向与沿河城市的兴衰 |trans-title=The Direction of the Grand Canal and the Rise and Fall of Cities Along the River |url=https://5g.dahe.cn/theory/202301101166308 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=5g.dahe.cn |publisher=大河网}}

In 781 during the Tang dynasty, a new city was reconstructed and named Bian ({{lang|zh|汴}}). Bian was the capital of the Later Liang, Later Jin (936–946), Later Han (947–950), and Later Zhou (951–960) of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song dynasty made Bian its capital when it overthrew the Later Zhou (Chenqiao incident) in 960. Shortly afterwards, the city underwent further expansion.

During the Song, when it was known as Dongjing or Bianjing, Kaifeng, then the 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. Typhus was an acute problem in the city. The historian Jacques Gernet provides a lively picture of life in this period in his Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250-1276, which often draws on Dongjing Meng Hua Lu, a nostalgic memoir of the city of Kaifeng.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. {{ISBN|0804707200}}.

In 1049, the Youguosi Pagoda ({{lang|zh-hant|佑國寺塔}}) – or Iron Pagoda as it is called today – was constructed measuring {{cvt|54.7|m|sp=us}} in height. It has survived the vicissitudes of war and floods to become the oldest landmark in this ancient city. Another Song-dynasty pagoda, {{Interlanguage link|Po Tower|zh|3=繁塔}}, dating from 974, has been partially destroyed.

File:Song-Imperial-Garden1.jpg.]]

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 hydraulically powered (i.e. by water wheel and a water clock), yet it incorporated an escapement mechanism two hundred years before they were found in the clockworks of Europe and featured the first known endless power-transmitting chain drive.

Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng was the largest city in the world from 1013 to 1127.{{Cite web |title=Zhengzhou & Kaifeng Introduction, Zhengzhou & Kaifeng travel guide - Easy Tour China |url=https://www.easytourchina.com/tip-v581-zhengzhou-kaifeng-introduction |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=www.easytourchina.com}}

This period ended in 1127 when the city fell to Jurchen invaders during the Jingkang Incident. It subsequently came under the rule of the Jurchen Jin dynasty, which had conquered most of North China during the Jin–Song Wars.{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Lorge |title=War, Politics and Society in Early Modern China, 900–1795 |year=2005 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-203-96929-8 |pages=52–54}} While it remained an important administrative center, only the area inside the inner city wall of the early Song remained settled and the two outer rings were abandoned.

As the imperial capital of the Song, Kaifeng was conveniently situated along the Grand Canal for logistics supply but militarily vulnerable due to its position on the floodplains of the Yellow River.

Kaifeng served as the Jurchen "southern capital" from 1157 (other sources say 1161) and was reconstructed during this time.{{Cite web|url=http://www.upkorea.net/news/photo/7345-2-7037.pdf|title=The Eastern Manchurian Woodsmen Replacing the Western Manchurian Nomads|access-date=November 6, 2010|archive-date=2007-07-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705112718/http://www.upkorea.net/news/photo/7345-2-7037.pdf|url-status=live}} The Jurchen kept their main capital further north until 1214 when they were forced to move the imperial court southwards to Kaifeng in order to flee from the onslaught of the Mongols. In 1232 they succumbed to the combined Mongol and Song forces in the Siege of Kaifeng (1232). The Mongols captured the city and in 1279 conquered all of China. During the Yuan dynasty Bianliang became the capital of Henan Jiangbei Province, which was established in 1277.

File:East Market street, Kaifeng-1-.JPG of the Kaifeng Jews lay beyond the row of stores on the right]]

In the Mongol siege of Kaifeng, the Mongols and Han Chinese (who defected to the Mongols) slaughtered the male members of the Jin Jurchen Wanyan Imperial family and took the royal women including the Jin concubines and princesses to Mongolia as war booty. Mongols looted the city when it fell, but atypical to most sieges in the time period, they permitted trade. The richest residents of the city sold their luxury belongings to Mongol soldiers for critically needed food supplies. Male members of the Jurchen Jin Wanyan royal family residing in the city were captured and executed.{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=James |date=2022-04-06 |title=A Mongol siege, the Black Death, and the end of two dynasties |url=https://thechinaproject.com/2022/04/06/a-mongol-siege-the-black-death-and-the-end-of-two-dynasties/ |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=The China Project |language=en-US}} All Jin imperial concubines, including the empress dowager, were captured and taken north.{{cite book |title=金史 |volume=64 |language=zh |trans-title=History of Jin |chapter=列傳第二 后妃下 (Biographies 2, Imperial wives and concubines [lower volume])}}

In 1260, Marco Polo arrived at Kaifeng, and wrote about it in his diaries.

The city was briefly captured around the mid-14th century by the Red Turban rebels who made it their capital for ten years. They were crushed by the newly established Ming forces. 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 the Yellow River to prevent the peasant rebel Li Zicheng from taking over. After this disaster, the city was abandoned again. In 1662, during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor in the Qing dynasty, Kaifeng was rebuilt. Another reconstruction in 1843 followed flooding in 1841, shaping Kaifeng as it stands today.

From the 8th to 9th century and up to the 19th century, Kaifeng is known for having the oldest extant Jewish community in China, the Kaifeng Jews.{{Cite journal |last=Ainslie |first=Mary J. |date=March 2021 |title=Chinese Philosemitism and Historical Statecraft: Incorporating Jews and Israel into Contemporary Chinese Civilizationism |journal=The China Quarterly |language=en |volume=245 |pages=208–226 |doi=10.1017/S0305741020000302 |issn=0305-7410 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite web |last=JTA and Stuart Winer |title=5 Chinese women immigrate to Israel, plan conversion |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/5-chinese-women-immigrate-to-israel-plan-conversion/ |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}} As of 2016, there are 500 to 1,000 Jews still left in the city.

On 6 June 1938, the city was occupied by the invading Japanese Imperial Army. Kaifeng remained the capital of Henan province until 1954, when it was moved to Zhengzhou. In 1969, the former President of the People's Republic of China, Liu Shaoqi, died from medical neglect while under house arrest in Kaifeng.

In 1948, the Battle 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 which was part of the Shengcai Battle.

Kaifeng has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) 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 {{convert|−16|°C|0}} on December 27, 1971, to {{convert|42.9|°C|0}} on June 19, 1966.{{Cite web |title=开封党史方志网 |url=https://www.kfdsw.com/index/detail/id/495.html |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=www.kfdsw.com}}

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| metric first = y

| single line = y

| collapsed = Y

| location = Kaifeng, elevation {{convert|74|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1966–present)

| Jan high C = 5.4

| Feb high C = 9.4

| Mar high C = 15.3

| Apr high C = 21.8

| May high C = 27.2

| Jun high C = 31.7

| Jul high C = 32.0

| Aug high C = 30.7

| Sep high C = 26.9

| Oct high C = 21.6

| Nov high C = 13.9

| Dec high C = 7.4

| Jan mean C = 0.7

| Feb mean C = 4.2

| Mar mean C = 9.8

| Apr mean C = 16.1

| May mean C = 21.7

| Jun mean C = 26.2

| Jul mean C = 27.6

| Aug mean C = 26.3

| Sep mean C = 21.9

| Oct mean C = 16.2

| Nov mean C = 8.8

| Dec mean C = 2.7

| Jan low C = -2.9

| Feb low C = 0.0

| Mar low C = 5.2

| Apr low C = 11.1

| May low C = 16.6

| Jun low C = 21.3

| Jul low C = 23.9

| Aug low C = 22.8

| Sep low C = 17.8

| Oct low C = 11.8

| Nov low C = 4.7

| Dec low C = -1.0

| Jan record high C = 19.2

| Jan record low C = -15.0

| Feb record high C = 25.5

| Feb record low C = -14.2

| Mar record high C = 29.9

| Mar record low C = -7.3

| Apr record high C = 36.0

| Apr record low C = -1.6

| May record high C = 39.1

| May record low C = 5.0

| Jun record high C = 42.9

| Jun record low C = 11.3

| Jul record high C = 40.6

| Jul record low C = 15.2

| Aug record high C = 38.0

| Aug record low C = 13.1

| Sep record high C = 37.4

| Sep record low C = 6.0

| Oct record high C = 34.1

| Oct record low C = -0.2

| Nov record high C = 26.9

| Nov record low C = -11.7

| Dec record high C = 22.4

| Dec record low C = -16.0

| year high C =

| year low C =

| year high F =

| year low F =

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 8.7

| Feb precipitation mm = 11.2

| Mar precipitation mm = 19.2

| Apr precipitation mm = 38.6

| May precipitation mm = 51.3

| Jun precipitation mm = 62.1

| Jul precipitation mm = 157.9

| Aug precipitation mm = 134.6

| Sep precipitation mm = 66.3

| Oct precipitation mm = 31.7

| Nov precipitation mm = 24.9

| Dec precipitation mm = 8.8

| Jan humidity = 59

| Feb humidity = 58

| Mar humidity = 57

| Apr humidity = 61

| May humidity = 61

| Jun humidity = 62

| Jul humidity = 75

| Aug humidity = 77

| Sep humidity = 72

| Oct humidity = 65

| Nov humidity = 64

| Dec humidity = 61

| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 3.4

| Feb precipitation days = 4.2

| Mar precipitation days = 4.6

| Apr precipitation days = 5.3

| May precipitation days = 6.6

| Jun precipitation days = 7.1

| Jul precipitation days = 10.6

| Aug precipitation days = 9.6

| Sep precipitation days = 7.8

| Oct precipitation days = 5.7

| Nov precipitation days = 4.8

| Dec precipitation days = 3.0

| year precipitation days =

| Jan sun = 118.7

| Feb sun = 131.3

| Mar sun = 172.7

| Apr sun = 199.1

| May sun = 214.4

| Jun sun = 195.7

| Jul sun = 167.0

| Aug sun = 163.3

| Sep sun = 152.4

| Oct sun = 155.6

| Nov sun = 135.4

| Dec sun = 123.7

| year sun =

| Jan percentsun = 38

| Feb percentsun = 42

| Mar percentsun = 46

| Apr percentsun = 51

| May percentsun = 50

| Jun percentsun = 45

| Jul percentsun = 38

| Aug percentsun = 40

| Sep percentsun = 41

| Oct percentsun = 45

| Nov percentsun = 44

| Dec percentsun = 41

| year percentsun =

| Jan snow days = 4.0

| Feb snow days = 3.1

| Mar snow days = 1.2

| Apr snow days = 0.2

| May snow days = 0

| Jun snow days = 0

| Jul snow days = 0

| Aug snow days = 0

| Sep snow days = 0

| Oct snow days = 0

| Nov snow days = 1.1

| Dec snow days = 2.7

| year snow days =

| source 1 = China Meteorological Administration{{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans |access-date=12 August 2023}}

{{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans | access-date =12 August 2023 |title=Experience Template }}

| source 2 = Weather China{{cite web

| url = http://www.weather.com.cn/cityintro/101180801.shtml?

| script-title=zh:开封 - 气象数据 -中国天气网

| publisher = Weather China

| language = zh

| access-date = 29 November 2022}}

| source =

}}

Downtown Kaifeng is about {{cvt|55|km}} away from Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (IATA: CGO, ICAO: ZHCC), which is the busiest airport in central China in terms of both passenger and cargo traffic (2017 statistics).{{cite web |url=http://www.caac.gov.cn/XXGK/XXGK/TJSJ/201803/t20180307_55600.html|script-title=zh:2017年民航机场生产统计公报|access-date=2018-03-15 |date=2018-03-07 |publisher=Civil Aviation Administration of China |language=zh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150823011202/http://www.caac.gov.cn/XXGK/XXGK/TJSJ/201803/t20180307_55600.html|archive-date=2015-08-23|url-status=dead}}

With the completion of Zhengzhou–Kaifeng intercity railway and Zhengzhou–Xinzheng Airport intercity railway, fast train connections to Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport from Kaifeng became available. As of August 2018, there are 12 pairs of intercity trains running between Xinzheng Airport and Songchenglu every day, with a travel time of 53 min.

Kaifeng railway station is on the east–west Longhai Railway mainline and provides convenient access to many cities around China, including Beijing West, Shanghai, Shanghai Hongqiao, Tianjin, Xi'an, Jinan, Hangzhou. Services to Zhengzhou, Luoyang and Qingdao are also frequent and convenient. Direct long-distance services to Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing North, Harbin, Ürümqi, Fuzhou, Dalian and Wuhan are also available.

The Zhengzhou–Kaifeng intercity railway ({{lang|zh-hans|郑开城际铁路}}) started operation on 28 December 2014,{{Cite web |script-title=zh:郑州开封城铁开通：省委书记玩自拍 “包拯”捧场 |url=http://new.qq.com/cmsn/20141229/20141229001413 |website=new.qq.com |access-date=2018-04-13 |language=zh |archive-date=2018-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413190109/http://new.qq.com/cmsn/20141229/20141229001413 |url-status=live }} connecting the provincial capital Zhengzhou and Kaifeng. The railway currently terminates at Songchenglu, and is planned to be extended to Kaifeng railway station. The designed top speed is {{cvt|200|km/h}}.

Kaifeng North railway station of the Xuzhou–Lanzhou high-speed railway is the main high-speed railway station of the city. It started operation on 10 September 2016.{{Cite web |script-title=zh:郑徐高铁开封北站即将开门迎宾(组图） |url=http://henan.people.com.cn/n2/2016/0907/c351638-28965979.html |website=henan.people.com.cn |date=2016-09-07 |access-date=2018-08-02 |language=zh |archive-date=2018-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802101833/http://henan.people.com.cn/n2/2016/0907/c351638-28965979.html |url-status=live }}

There are 4 main coach stations in Kaifeng:

• Kaifeng West Coach Station ({{lang|zh-hans|开封客运西站}})
• Kaifeng Long-Distance Coach Station ({{lang|zh-hans|开封长途汽车站}})
• Kaifeng Jinming Coach Station ({{lang|zh-hans|开封金明汽车站}})
• Kaifeng XiangGuosi Coach Station ({{lang|zh-hans|开封相国寺汽车站}})

There are frequent services to many neighboring counties, other provincial cities and long-distance services to other provinces.

• 20px G30 Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway
• 20px G45 Daqing–Guangzhou Expressway
• 20px S82 Zhengzhou–Minquan Expressway
• 20px S83 Lankao–Nanyang Expressway
• 25px China National Highway 106
• 25px China National Highway 220
• 25px China National Highway 310

Image:Kaifeng east mosque.jpg]]

File:Cathedral in Kaifeng 01.jpg

Kaifeng is known for having the oldest extant Jewish community in China, the Kaifeng Jews.

It also has a significant Muslim enclave and is notable for its many women's mosques (nǚsì), including the oldest nǚsì in China: Wangjia Hutong Women's Mosque, which dates to 1820.{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2010/07/21/128628514/female-imams-blaze-trail-amid-chinas-muslims |title=NPR |website=NPR |date=21 July 2010 |access-date=2018-04-03 |archive-date=2011-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905050801/https://www.npr.org/2010/07/21/128628514/female-imams-blaze-trail-amid-chinas-muslims |url-status=live |last1=Lim |first1=Louisa }}

There are also some active Christian churches, including the Sacred Heart Cathedral ({{lang|zh|开封耶稣圣心主教座堂}}).

File:Steamed soup buns of Kaifeng.jpg]]

Kaifeng cuisine plays a dominant part in forming Henan cuisine.{{Cite web |url=http://newpaper.dahe.cn/hnrbncb/html/2009-03/31/content_163891.htm|script-title=zh:豫菜成大器 任重而道远|access-date=October 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129030055/http://newpaper.dahe.cn/hnrbncb/html/2009-03/31/content_163891.htm|archive-date=January 29, 2014|url-status=dead}}

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, like pita, 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 famous night market. People from nearby Zhengzhou often come to Kaifeng to visit family members and to enjoy the atmosphere.

The Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House ({{lang-zh|s=马豫兴桶子鸡; |p=Mǎ Yùxīng Tǒngzi Jī |labels=no}}), located in Kaifeng, is by some accounts the world's oldest restaurant.

The chrysanthemum 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 the Jürchens 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kf.cn/special/jhwhj/|title=China Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Cultural Festival|access-date=October 28, 2012|archive-date=October 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020070847/http://www.kf.cn/special/jhwhj/|url-status=live}} The opening ceremony was broadcast live during the evening prime slot on Henan Television (HNTV), which broadcasts to all Chinese cities at or above the prefecture 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".

The {{Wikidata fallback link|Q18110465}} ({{lang|zh|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 the Chinese 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 ({{lang|zh|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.

Kaifeng is the headquarters of the 20th Group Army of the People's Liberation Army, one of three group armies that compose the Jinan Military Region responsible for the defense of the Yellow River Plain.

Kaifeng Air Base is a military airfield in the southern suburb of Kaifeng City. It does not provide civilian aviation service.

{{Gallery|align=center

|File:Iron Pagoda d.JPG|The Iron Pagoda

|File:Small Bridge at Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden, Kaifeng, China.jpg|Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden

|File:Dragon Pavilion 3.jpg|Entrance to the Dragon Pavilion

|File:大梁门夜景.jpg|Reconstructed city gate (inner) of Bianjing

|File:大相国寺鼓楼.jpg|Daxiangguo Temple's drum tower

|File:菊花与河南大学大礼堂.jpg|Henan University

|File:Daliang City Gate.jpg|Daliang City Gate

|File:开封宋都御街 123.jpg|Imperial Street of the Song dynasty

|File:开封宋都御街 122.jpg|Imperial Street of the Song dynasty

|File:开封宋都御街 121.jpg|Imperial Street of the Song dynasty

}}

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in China}}

Kaifeng is twinned with:{{cite web |title=友好都市 |url=http://jan.ekaifeng.gov.cn/japyhds/ |website=ekaifeng.gov.cn |publisher=Kaifeng |language=zh |access-date=2020-07-14 |archive-date=2021-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624083404/http://jan.ekaifeng.gov.cn/japyhds/ |url-status=live }}

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• {{flagicon|ISR}} Kiryat Motzkin, Israel
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Omsk, Russia
• {{flagicon|JPN}} Toda, Japan
• {{flagicon|USA}} Wichita, United States
• {{flagicon|AUS}} Wingecarribee, Australia
• {{flagicon|KOR}} Yeongcheon, South Korea

{{div col end}}

Kaifeng is also a major city for scientific research, appearing among the world's top 200 cities as tracked by the Nature Index. The city is home to a campus of Henan University, one of the national key universities in the Double First-Class Construction.

• Henan University ({{lang|zh-Hans|河南大学}}) (founded 1912)
• Kaifeng University ({{lang|zh-Hans|开封大学}}) (founded 1980)
• Kaifeng Institute of Education ({{lang|zh-Hans|开封教育学院}})
• Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute ({{lang|zh-Hans|黄河水利职业技术学院}}) (founded 1929)

According to the Seventh National Census in 2020, the city's Permanent Population (hukou) was 4,824,016.{{Cite web |title=开封市第七次全国人口普查主要数据 - 开封市统计局网站 |url=http://tjj.kaifeng.gov.cn/kfstjjwz/cqsfx/pc/content/content_1785197204558106624.html |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=tjj.kaifeng.gov.cn}} Compared with the 4,676,159 people in the Sixth 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.

• Historical capitals of China
• 1642 Yellow River flood
• Chinese ship Kaifeng

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |author=Cotterell, Arthur. |title=The Imperial Capitals of China: An Inside View of the Celestial Empire |location=London |publisher=Pimlico |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84595-009-5 |pages=304 pages}}
• The Origin of the Kaifeng Jews, in S. Shaked, ed., Irano-Judaica, Jerusalem, 1982, pp. 101–11

{{commons category|Kaifeng}}

{{Wiktionary|Kaifeng|K'ai-feng|Caifung|Caifum}}

{{wikivoyage|Kaifeng}}

• [http://www.kaifeng.gov.cn Government website of Kaifeng] (in Simplified Chinese)
• [http://www.kf.cn Kaifeng City Portal] (in Simplified Chinese)
• Notes on [http://collections.dartmouth.edu/teitexts/tenney/diplomatic/ms794-006-diplomatic.html the Jewish colony at Kaifeng] from the Papers of Charles Daniel Tenney

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{{s-ttl|title=Capital of China (as Kaifeng)

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{{Henan topics}}

{{Henan}}

{{Prefectural-level divisions of the People's Republic of China}}

{{Major cities along the Yellow River}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:360s BC establishments

Category:364 BC

Category:Historic Jewish communities

Category:Populated places established in the 4th century BC

Category:History of the Jews in Asia

Category:Chinese Jews

Category:Prefecture-level divisions of Henan

Category:National Famous Historical and Cultural City