Kaifeng

Kaifeng was the capital of the Northern Song and, in the eleventh century, probably the largest city in the world, a commercial centre depicted in the scroll Along the River During the Qingming Festival. The Yellow River destroyed it repeatedly, flooding and burying the city under silt so that the Song levels lie many metres below the modern streets, with successive cities stacked one above another. What survives above ground is later: the Iron Pagoda of 1049, the Fan Pagoda of 977, the Xiangguo Temple, and the Longting complex. The night market on Gulou Square, selling Kaifeng snacks including soup dumplings and almond tea, is the liveliest part of the city.

What you actually see

• The stacked city - Song levels buried metres below the modern streets.
• The night market - Gulou Square filling with food stalls after dark.
• The Song-era pagodas - the Iron and Fan pagodas surviving above the silt.
• Xiangguo Temple - the reconstructed imperial temple in the centre.

When to go

April to May and September to November; the night market runs year-round but is best in mild weather. Summer is hot and humid. Chrysanthemum displays fill the city in October and November.

Honest expectations

Much of the visible heritage is Ming, Qing or modern reconstruction, since the Song city is underground and cannot be excavated under the modern one. Several themed parks recreate Song scenes commercially. Air quality in Henan is often poor.

Nearby

Zhengzhou lies west; the Yellow River runs north of the city.