Longting (Dragon Pavilion) Park
龙亭公园
A Qing-era elevated structure built on the site of the Song and Jin imperial palaces. The Dragon Pavilion, reached by 72 steps, overlooks Pan and Yang Lakes and serves as the main venue of the Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Festival.
Longting Park sits on the north end of the old city's central axis, where the inner palace of the Northern Song and later the Jin imperial palace once stood. During the Kangxi era of the Qing dynasty, a Wanshou Palace was built on the raised platform of the palace ruins, later known as Longting (Dragon Pavilion). The core landscape is a blue-brick platform about 13 meters high, topped by the Dragon Pavilion hall with its double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. Climbing the 72 stone steps of the 'Imperial Road' brings you to the top, where you can look south toward Wuchao Gate and Song Dynasty Imperial Street, and east and west over Pan Lake and Yang Lake. Local legend says Pan Lake's water is murky and Yang Lake's is clear, symbolizing the treacherous minister Pan Renmei and the loyal Yang Family Generals. Inside the pavilion are a reconstructed model of the Song imperial palace and wax figures of Song emperors. From mid-October to mid-November each year, the Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Festival takes place here, with hundreds of thousands of chrysanthemum pots and large chrysanthemum sculptures. It is the most beautiful and most crowded time of the year. Tickets cost about RMB 50, with higher prices during the festival; tickets can be bought through the park's WeChat official account. Getting there: about 10 minutes by taxi from downtown, or take the bus to the Longting Park stop. It sits across the lake from Qingming Shanghe Garden and Tianbo Yang Mansion, a 10 to 15 minute walk away. Allow 1.5 hours, and plan to visit Qingming Shanghe Garden on the same day. Note: During the festival, weekends are extremely crowded, so visit on a weekday morning. The Imperial Road steps are steep, so watch your footing.
Opening hours
Approx. 07:00–19:00 (08:00–17:30 in winter)
Nearby sights
- Tianbo Yang Family Mansion
- Song Dynasty Imperial Street
- China Hanyuan Stele Forest
- Shan-Shaan-Gan Guild Hall
- Wansuishan Song Dynasty Martial Arts City
- Shudian Street
- Millennium City Park
- Shuanglong Lane