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Kaifeng, located in the eastern part of the
alluvial plain in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River is
also called Bianzhou for the reason that it lies on the bank of Bian River.
The city consists of 5 districts and 5 counties and covers an area of
6,444 sq. kilometers with a population of 4.3 million. Kaifeng is blessed
with a temperate climate with distinctively divided four seasons. The
annual temperature averages 14.4 ?.

Kaifeng is one of the seven ancient capitals
in China, honored for its long history of more than 2,300 years. It was
founded as the capital in Wei Regime in the Warring States Period, in
the Later Liang Dynasty, the Later Jin Dynasty, the Later Han Dynasty
and the Later Zhou Dynasty in the Five-dynasty Period, in North Song Dynasty
and in the late Jin Dynasty. Therefore, it has been honored as "the ancient
capital of seven dynasties". In addition, King Liangxiao of the Western
Han Dynasty, the peasant uprising army in the late Yuan Dynasty and Emperor
Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, also established their capitals here
for some time. For this reason, Kaifeng is also said to be a "ancient
capital for ten dynasties". In the year 960 AD, Kaifeng was renamed as
Dongjing when the North Song Dynasty made it the capital. Nine emperors
ruled here for over 168 years. Having a population of over 1 million, Kaifeng
then ranked among the most flourishing metropolises in the world.
Kaifeng has been enlisted in the first group of historically and culturally
renowned cities in China. It attracts millions of Chinese and foreign
tourists each year. In the long history, although the city has gone through
different kinds of hardships and difficulties, many places of historical
interests have survived intact.In addition, many new places of attractions
and scenic spots have been created so that tourists can enjoy more than
just an ancient city.
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