Dragon Pavilion

Hours & Admission Price Peak Season
Jan.-Dec.
08:00-19:00
35 Low Season
Jan.-Dec.
08:00-19:00
35 Address & Phone +86 378-5660316 North Section of Zhongshan Road, Kaifeng City, Henan Province. Transportation One can take bus No.1, 20 from the railway station of Kaifeng to get there. Notes

Located in the northwest of Kaifeng, Dragon Pavilion is a famous scenic site built on a 13-meter blue brick terrace with 72 steps. It is a tourism resort in Kaifeng.

As a palatial architecture with a double hipped roof in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Dragon Pavilion is not a pavilion actually. It is a palatial hall built on a 13-meter blue brick terrace with 72 steps. It is located in the northwest of Kaifeng and with a total area of about 0.87 square kilometers. The Dragon Pavilion is the main part of the constructions in Dragon Pavilion Park. You can appreciate the cultural relics displayed in the hall and overlook the beautiful scenery of ancient Kaifeng City in on the terrace.

Dragon Pavilion is a wooden structure built facing south. It is 26.7 meters high from the ground to the top of the hall and set with 72 steps. In the middle of the steps, there are sculptured many dragons patterns. In the middle of the palace, there is a big chair with a dragon which was used to announce the rescript. In ancient times, the pavilion was used by the king for meetings. Dragon Pavilion is a typical representative of the cultural and historical heritages of Kaifeng.

Legend about the Dragon Pavilion

In a summer heavy rain night in the 1980s, Dragon Pavilion was collapsed. As for the reason, there are many sayings. A legend says that a dragon was seen flying into the sky and the Dragon Pavilion was found collapsed the following day. Another legend says that in the renovation of the pavilion, the gray brick stone terrace was found to be hollow and hung a bronze bell in the middle of the terrace. Beneath the bell, there lies the dead python. All these legend crate a mysterious color to the Dragon Pavilion.

Lake Pan and Lake Yang

There is a straight road in front of the Dragon Pavilion. On the east side of the road, it is the Lake Pan, while on the west side, it is the Lake Yang. There is an interesting story about these two lakes. Both the Pan and Yang families are renowned in the Song Dynasty. Pan Mei, a senior grand tutor at that time, who is a treacherous court official, so the water in Lake Pan is feculent. While, the Yang Family is famous for their loyalty, so the lake of their family is clear. Although without scientific basis, this saying reflects people’s attitude towards the treacherousness and loyalty.

Waxwork Hall

To the west of Dragon Pavilion. There is the Waxwork Hall, which is the first special wax museum in China. It exhibits nine groups of vivid waxworks reflecting the important events in the field of politic, economy, diploma and culture of nine emperors of the Song Dynasty. It covers an area about 410 square meters. The technique of the waxwork is fine and exquisite. The sculptor’s complexion, hair, eye and expressions are shown true to life.

Chrysanthemum Show

The famous Chrysanthemum Show is held in the Dragon Pavilion Park in every October. At that time it becomes a carnival of flowers, which lends enchantment to the Dragon Pavilion.
 

Kaifeng Culture