Kaifeng，known as "the Capital of Seven Dynasties", is one of the
Eight Ancient Capitals in China. With its long history and splendid
culture, this ancient city is immersed in a dense cultural atmosphere.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, the prime of Kaifeng, it especially
enjoyed the reputation as one of the most prosperous capital cities in
the world. The famous painting Market Day at the QingMing Festival by
Zhang Zeduan (a famous painter of the Northern Song Dynasty) and other
works, represented the prosperous times and various customs of Kaifeng.
With lots of well-protected ancient relics and abundant water
resources, Kaifeng, is a good combination of the time-honored history,
culture and tradition. Kaifeng was culturally established quite early.
Historically, it was one of the first developed regions due to the
abundant water resources, advanced irrigation systems, mild climate and
convenient transportation. During the Northern Song Dynasty, its
magnificence, magnitude and splendor made the Capital Dongjing (the
ancient name of Kaifeng) not only the political, economical, scientific
and cultural center of China, but also one of the most prosperous
metropolises in the world. The city was uniquely designed to include
three parts（the inner city, the outer city and the imperial palace）,
three city walls and moats. Inside it, both the roads and channels were
well-built, thus forming a convenient mode of transportation. With the
increase of non-agricultural citizens, the handcraft and business
industries blossomed, thus establishing it as the most attractive
metropolis both at home and abroad.
The famous royal garden, Genyue Garden, embodies the features of all
the famous Chinese mountains, with various rare plants, flowers and
animals. Thus the historians call it the transitional masterpiece in
Chinese Gardening History. Kaifeng has abundant relics, including 23
cultural relics which are listed as state or provincial level
protection, and 162 relics listed at municipal or county level. Many
ancient tourist sites, like the Iron Pagoda, Xiangguo Temple, the
Qingming Festival Market Garden, Dragon Pavilion Scenic Spot, the
Memorial Temple of Lord Bao, Kaifeng Fu (the official institution in
charge of judicature during the Northern Song Dynasty) and the Stele
Forest of the Imperial Academy in Feudal China, are endowed with high
historical and cultural value. As one of the three bases for stone
steles and inscriptions, Kaifeng has various kinds of stone
inscriptions; more than 1,000 are on display at the Kaifeng Museum and
various other tourist spots. Those valuable inscriptions, which date
from the Han Dynasty to the Minguo period (1911—1949, the period of the
Republic of China), are treasures for history research as well as for
calligraphy.
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Kaifeng is of the temperate monsoon
climate, with four seasons, medium rainfall, and adequate sunshine. The
annual average temperature is 14.5℃, with an annual average rainfall of
670mm. Its forest coverage rate is higher than the average level of
China. And the best time to visit Kaifeng is September and October, when
both the climate and the rainfall are moderate. Moreover, it is just
the right time for you to enjoy the wonderful scenery of the
chrysanthemum exhibition.
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