Henan General Repair Institute
Henan University Hall is a specialized higher education institution that trains Catholic clergy in China. It was established in 1930 and was closed down in 1958 after 28 years of operation. Henan Provincial Museum was also a filming location for the movie "Peacock". The campus consists of two main buildings, a main hall and a church, with a classical Chinese-style green tiled roof and Western-style doors and windows. Located in the eastern suburbs of Kaifeng, it is almost unprotected and even has garbage dumps in front of it. Apart from the well-preserved main gate, most of the buildings are in ruins. Some parts of the walls are relatively new, indicating there may have been two repairs, but it is unclear why they were damaged again. Despite its dilapidated state, the beauty of the architecture, combining traditional Chinese elements with Western style, can still be seen.
The Fanta Tower, built during the Song Dynasty, was a huge Buddhist pagoda with six sides and nine levels, standing over 80 meters tall. It was very spectacular and was one of the famous "Eight Sights of Bianjing". Now, it only has three levels. From afar, the Fanta Tower may not catch attention as it appears as a short and chubby three-level tower. However, when viewed up close, it is very magnificent. The wall paintings are embedded with Buddha statues, with each panel depicting a different Buddha statue. The statues are made with bricks and tiles, showcasing unique styles, costumes, and artistic techniques. In total, there are 108 different styles, with over 7,000 statues.
Yuwangtai Park
Suitable for: Japanese-style portrait photography. The Yuhuangtai Park is just opposite to the Fantat, and a combination ticket with Fantat is available. Initially, I wasn't interested as I thought it was just a park, but since I had already paid for the ticket, I decided to take a stroll. To my surprise, the park turned out to be quite delightful. It's not very big, but there is an ancient flute platform, which was once known as one of the eight scenic spots in Bianliang. However, the highlight is the children's playground inside the park. It features old-fashioned facilities, giving it a nostalgic feel of childhood. There is a very complex slide with three layers, consisting of suspended and straight sections. The design is very beautiful, but the slide on the third layer is a bit scary. Despite my efforts to psych myself up, I didn't dare to slide down.
Iron Tower Street
Because it is the tallest lustrous pagoda in China, it is called the "Number One Pagoda in the World" and also known as the "Kai Bao Si Pagoda". It is commonly called the Iron Pagoda because of its appearance from a distance that resembles cast iron.
Translated into English: Originally known as Zhongyang Temple, it was built during the Yuan Dynasty to commemorate Wang Zhe, the founder of the True Teaching in Taoism, who gave sermons and erected a stele here. It was later flooded and damaged, with only the Yuhuang Pavilion remaining. The Yuhuang Pavilion is also interesting because it once sank underground due to the flooding of the Yellow River. In order to protect the tower, the government funded the "lifting" of the entire tower to the surface. The tower consists of three layers - upper, middle, and lower - all constructed with blue bricks, blue stones, and glazed tiles, without the use of beams or wood. The second layer is a solid building, making it impossible to reach the third layer, symbolizing the height and loftiness of the Jade Emperor.
Todai-ji
Dongda Temple, also known as Dong Mosque, is a Chinese-style mosque and the largest mosque in Henan province. It has undergone several repairs and is currently undergoing restoration. However, the main attraction of visiting Dongda Temple is the street full of Hui Muslim snacks in front of the temple. The street may not be long, only about a hundred meters from end to end, but the food is really delicious, from the sauce beef at the beginning of the street to Shuangma Huoshao, Siwei Tang, lamb soup, baked bread, beef Huoshao, pickled cabbage...
