Trip Overview
When: May (shoulder season, pleasant weather)
Duration: 1 day
Travelers: Couple
Budget: ~100 RMB (~$14 USD)
Transportation: Local transport
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: The park is located in Zhu Xian Zhen (朱仙镇), about 20km from Kaifeng (开封) city center. Take a bus or taxi from Kaifeng.
Money Matters: Most places accept mobile payment (WeChat/Alipay), but carry 100-200 RMB cash for small vendors and tips.
Language: English is limited in this area. Learn these key phrases: Qifeng Garden (启封故园), Zhu Xian Zhen (朱仙镇), ticket (门票).
Day 1: Qifeng Garden and Zhu Xian Zhen
Most travelers head to Kaifeng for the Qingming Riverside Garden, but just 20km away lies a hidden gem that tells an even deeper story—the ancient启封城 (Qifeng City), buried beneath the yellow sand for millennia, now beautifully resurrected as启封故园 (Qifeng Garden).
Here's the wild history lesson: Back in the Spring and Autumn Period over 2,000 years ago, this was the northeastern frontier of the Zheng Kingdom. General Duke Zhuang ordered troops to build a garrison city and named it "启拓封疆" (Qituofengjiang)—essentially "opening up the frontier." That's where "启封" (Qifeng) comes from. Later, during the Western Han Dynasty, they had to rename it to avoid using the name of Emperor Liu Qi—thus "开封" (Kaifeng) was born. The current Kaifeng city was back then called 仪邑 (Yiyi). Mind. Blown.
Foreigner tip: This isn't a fake tourist recreation—archaeologists have actually excavated real artifacts from the original启封城 underneath. The park was built around these historical layers.
The showstopper is the启封楼 (Qifeng Tower), a massive 36m-wide, 16.83m-tall memorial archway claimed to be China's largest. Its seven doors and eight pillars represent the town welcoming travelers from all directions.
The four directional memorial arches are dedicated to Zhu Xian Zhen's four cultural pillars: the Grain Transport Canal, the birthplace of Chinese New Year pictures, the origin of Yu Opera, and the famous朱仙大捷 (Zhu Xian Victory) battle led by general岳飞 (Yue Fei) against the Jin army.
The聚仙湖 (Juxian Lake) was intentionally designed to recreate a classic Central Plains water town—the area thrived on water transport for over 2,000 years. The运河 (Yunhe) grain transport canal brought essential supplies, and the验粮楼 (Yanliang Tower) was the government customs office where grain shipments were inspected, weighed, and registered.
The park has numerous bridges with romantic names—Magpie Bridge, Juxian Bridge, Fengyi Bridge, Xinyi Bridge—but two stand out.
The潜龙桥 (Qianlong Bridge) has a fascinating origin: Emperor Qianlong once visited Zhu Xian Zhen to distribute grain relief during a Yellow River flood. Locals built this bridge to honor him but couldn't use his name directly, so they used the homophone "潜龙" (Hidden Dragon) instead.
The状元桥 (Zhuangyuan Bridge) is the longest and most storied. Here's the tale: In 1118 AD, Emperor Huizong's third son, Zhao Kai, secretly took the imperial exams under a pseudonym—and accidentally scored first place (Zhuangyuan). To avoid controversy, his father demoted him to fourth place but secretly rewarded him with 1,000 taels of gold. Zhao Kai refused the reward, used it to aid flood victims in Zhu Xian Zhen instead, and built this bridge for locals. The people named it after his exam achievement.
Near these bridges sits the及第阁 (Jidi Pavilion), once the examination hall for the Northern Song Dynasty imperial exams. Historical heavyweights like晏殊 (Yanshu), 范仲淹 (Fan Zhongyan), 欧阳修 (Ouyang Xiu), 王安石 (Wang Anshi), and 苏轼 (Su Shi) all walked out of these gates.
Pro hack: Walk across the Zhuangyuan Bridge to feel like you've passed the imperial exams—locals believe it brings good fortune for students!
In the center of Juxian Lake sits鸣鹤岛 (Minghe Island), said to be where the military academy of the Wei Kingdom was located. It's where the legendary strategist鬼谷子 (Guiguzi) taught students including孙膑 (Sun Bin) and庞涓 (Pang Juan)—who later became bitter rivals, their tragic story giving the nearby博弈广场 (Boyi Square) a contemplative atmosphere.
From Qifeng to Kaifeng, from ancient city to cultural garden—the history comes alive when you walk these grounds. Today's story is about retracing history, reliving stories, and enjoying the journey.