Kaifeng

Kaifeng (Chinese开封市/开封市, pinyin Kaifeng Shì ) is a prefecture -level city in the Chinese province of Henan. Your administrative area has an area of 6247 km ² and about 4.8 million inhabitants ( end of 2004). Kaifeng is located on the Yellow River. Distance to Zhengzhou, the capital of the province, is about 70 kilometers. Kaifeng is one of the ancient capitals in Chinese history.

Administrative Divisions

At county level, Kaifeng is composed of five districts and five counties. These are:

City Gulou District (鼓楼区), 58.68 km ², 161.300 inhabitants, center, seat of the city government;
Municipality Long Ting (龙亭区), 91.51 km ², 116,000 inhabitants;
Municipality Shunhe Hui (顺河回族区= " Muslim Quarter " ), 86.73 km ², 241 100 inhabitants;
Municipality Yuwangtai (禹王台区), 57.05 km ², 148,300 inhabitants;
City Jinming District (金明区), 252.38 km ², 182,000 inhabitants;
Circle Qi (杞县), 1258 km ², 1.05 million inhabitants, capital: greater community Chengguan (城关镇);
Circle Tongxu (通许县), 767 km ², 600,000 inhabitants, capital: greater community Chengguan (城关镇);
Weishi county (尉氏县), 1257 km ², 870,000 inhabitants, capital: greater community Chengguan (城关镇);
Circle Kaifeng (开封县), 1302 km ², 670,000 inhabitants, capital: greater community Chengguan (城关镇);
Circle Lankao (兰考县), 1116 km ², 760,000 inhabitants, capital: greater community Chengguan (城关镇).

History

In the year 364 BC the ruler of the State of Wei chose the area to ( Liang大梁, Da, United Brück ') under the name of its capital Daliang to start. After the demise of the state, the city was abandoned.

In the year 781 AD, a new city named Bian (汴(梁), Bian ( Liang ), Bian ( river ) Bridge ') was established under the Tang Dynasty. The city was expanded under the Song Dynasty. Other names are :汴州, BIAN Zhou and Dong jīng东京, Eastern Capital '

During the Song Dynasty Kaifeng was the capital of the Empire to 1126, as again from 1214 to 1234 under the Jin Dynasty. The population figures can only be estimated, therefore, vary the information 400000-700000 inhabitants. The population was later decimated by typhus epidemics repeatedly. From the Song period comes the built in 1049 Youguo Temple Pagoda ( Youguo si ta), which is today known as Iron Pagoda ( Tieta ) known. It is 54 meters high and has survived many wars and floods. It is the oldest building in town. Another pagoda, Bo Ta (繁塔) from the year 974, is partially destroyed.

Since the 9th century, but especially since the capital time, settled in Kaifeng Arab merchants, which merged with the Chinese to the people of the Muslim Hui Chinese, which is still inhabited today an autonomous municipality. Since the 12th century in Kaifeng Jewish community detectable, which largely went up to the 19th century by ethnic mixing and assimilation in the Chinese population majority.

In 1642, Kaifeng was flooded by the Ming army. She used the water of the Yellow River to prevent the peasant leader Li Zicheng troops were able to take over the city. Kaifeng was rebuilt under Emperor Kangxi by 1662, but however flooded again in 1841. As of 1843, the city was rebuilt.

Others

Kaifeng (then Bian Liang ) is represented on the famous Qingming role ( Qingming Shanghe tu清明上河图) by Zhang Zeduan.

In Kaifeng lives today one of the largest Jewish communities in China.

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