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Kaifeng Fu
Physically suffered a long course of history and natural disasters, the past of Kaifeng Fu (the Yamen of Ancient Kaifeng) has become a legend with the bricks and tiles of the old houses and streets. In replacement of the decrepit houses is the restored Kaifeng Fu with more magnificence.
The restored Kaifeng Fu sits at the north shore of the lake, facing south, occupying 60-something acres of land. Besides a main gate in the middle, there are two side gates, one on either side. The main gate opens twice a day during the Bao Gong welcoming performance and some important occasions. Tourists usually enter through the side gates. There are two stone lions guarding the main gate, and above the gate is a tower with a huge clock and a large drum. It was used in the past to announce the change of hour, but is now for tourists to beat the drum for fun. On top of lintel, three characters are written, spelling 'Kaifeng Fu', which is the original of the great calligrapher Cai Xiang of the Song Dynasty. There are 50-something palace pavilions and winding corridors that are divided into nice themed cultural areas, such as 'office alley cultural area', 'punishment and imprisonment cultural area', and 'Bao Gong legend cultural area', among others.
The Kaifeng Fu project was huge. The outer wall is a city wall with crenels; there are battlements and a tower over the gate forming a square alley city, which baffles most of the visitors. According to the experts, this construction had a lot to do with the turmoil the country suffered at that time. Wars were frequent, and, therefore, all important towns had outer cities, inner cities and alley cities; and so was the construction of Kaifeng Fu. When the Song Dynasty arose, Emperor Zhao Kuangyin ordered the tearing down of all citadels except Kaifeng Fu because the man in charge was Zhao Guangyi, the Emperor’s younger brother.
The citadels remained, but people still need to be very careful with any structures suggestive of military aggression living at the foot of 'the son of heaven' (the Emperor). From Zhao Guangyi onward, no one dared to place a single soldier in the citadel; there were only clocks, drums, entertainment facilities, and some technological and cultural facilities. Therefore, this city wall gained a unique name: 'cultural city wall'.
However, Kaifeng Fu was supposed to be like a court. Its purpose was to judge by law. Why were there so many appendant buildings? It was another misunderstanding. A government office alley had more functions than just being a court. It was a comprehensive administrative organization, taking charge of the civil administration, judicature, public security, labor pay, education, examination, religion, and so forth. It was probably Bao Gong being too famous a judge that made people think of Kaifeng Fu as only a court.
The restoration of Kaifeng Fu is obviously not just for nostalgia, it is more for the present, which is to develop the tourism industry of Kaifeng. For that matter, there are activities for tourists, just like any other touristic location; so that when you learn about history, you can relax and enjoy.
