Henan General Seminary
Henan University Hall is a higher vocational school specifically for training Chinese Catholic clergy. It was established in 1930 and ceased operations in 1958, lasting 28 years. The Henan Provincial Museum was also a filming location for the movie 'Peacock'. The seminary currently has two main buildings, a main building and a church, with exteriors featuring traditional Chinese style green tile roofs, while doors and windows are in Western style. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Kaifeng, almost in an unprotected state, with garbage piles in front. Except for the well-preserved main entrance, almost everything else is in ruins. Some parts of the walls appear relatively new, suggesting a second round of repairs, but it is unclear why they were damaged again. Despite its dilapidated state, the beauty of the architecture is still evident, showcasing a perfect blend of traditional Chinese and Western styles.
Fantower was a gigantic Buddhist pagoda in the Song Dynasty, with a hexagonal nine-story structure standing over 80 meters tall, making it extremely magnificent. Therefore, 'Spring Scenery of Fantower' was one of the famous Eight Views of Bianjing. Now, only three stories remain. From a distance, Fantower looks unimpressive, just a short and stout three-story tower, but up close, it is very grand. The murals are inlaid with Buddha statues, with each mural featuring a Buddha statue. Each brick and tile has a Buddha statue carved on it, with unique styles, clothing, and expressions, totaling 108 types and over 7,000 statues.
Yuwangtai Park
Suitable for: Japanese-style portrait photography. Yuwangtai Park is right opposite Fantower, and they share a combined ticket. Initially, I wasn't interested in just a park, but since I had already bought the ticket, I decided to take a stroll. To my surprise, it was quite delightful. The park is not large, and there is an ancient blowing platform, once considered one of the eight scenic spots of Bianliang. However, the highlight is the children's playground inside, which features relatively old facilities that evoke the feeling of parks from childhood. There is a very complex slide with three levels, divided into suspended and straight slides. The design is very attractive, but the third level slide is somewhat scary. Despite building up the courage for a long time, I didn't dare to slide down.
Iron Pagoda Street
Known as the 'First Pagoda Under Heaven' because it is the tallest glazed pagoda in China, it is also called the 'Kaibao Temple Pagoda'. Due to its appearance resembling cast iron from a distance, it is commonly referred to as the Iron Pagoda.
Originally known as Chongyang Temple, it was built in the Yuan Dynasty to commemorate Wang Zhe, the founder of the Quanzhen School of Taoism, who preached and erected a stele here. It was later flooded and suffered several destructions, leaving only the Jade Emperor Pavilion. The Jade Emperor Pavilion is also quite interesting; it was submerged underground due to the flooding of the Yellow River. Later, to protect the tower, the government funded the project to 'lift' the entire tower above ground. The tower is divided into three layers: upper, middle, and lower, all constructed with blue bricks, blue stones, and glazed tiles, without using any wooden beams. The second layer is a solid structure, making it impossible to reach the third layer, symbolizing the height and grandeur of the Jade Emperor.
Dongda Mosque
Dongda Mosque is a Chinese-style mosque, also known as Dong Qingzhen Mosque. It is the largest mosque in Henan Province. After several repairs, it was later funded by the public for renovation, and the main hall is still under renovation. Of course, visiting Dongda Mosque is not just about seeing the temple; the most important attraction is the Hui ethnic snack street in front of the mosque. Although the street is not long, only about a hundred meters from end to end, the food is incredibly delicious. From the braised beef at the beginning of the street, all the way down, you can find double sesame buns, four-flavor soup, lamb soup, sesame seed cakes, beef buns, pickled cabbage, and more.
