The Millennium City Park is located at No. 5 Longting West Road, Longting District, Kaifeng City, Henan Province. It is situated in the northwestern part of Kaifeng City, about 5 kilometers east of the city center. The scenic area is a National 5A-level Tourist Attraction and a National Cultural Industry Demonstration Base, with a total area of 600 mu, including 180 mu of water surface. It was built in imitation of the famous Northern Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan's Along the River During the Qingming Festival and is a large-scale Song Dynasty cultural live-action theme park. The buildings in the scenic area are all in the imitation Song style, with more than 300 halls, pavilions, and towers of various sizes and more than 40 bridges, forming the largest ancient Song Dynasty architectural complex in the Central Plains region. More than 50 various folk performances are staged every day, making it an important place to experience Northern Song urban culture.
Historical Culture
The Millennium City Park is set against the backdrop of the urban life and folk customs of Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng), the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. Its core inspiration comes from Zhang Zeduan's Along the River During the Qingming Festival. This long scroll, created during the Xuanhe period of the Northern Song Dynasty, depicts the prosperous scene on both banks of the Bian River in Bianjing during the Qingming Festival. It is now housed in the Palace Museum and is a pinnacle work in the history of Chinese painting.
Construction of the scenic area began in 1992 and it was officially opened to the public in October 1998. It was restored strictly according to the composition and layout of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, transforming elements such as more than 500 figures, more than 80 boats, and more than 20 vehicles in the painting into real-life scenes. The park features areas such as market streets, royal gardens, and folk performances, recreating scenes of water transport, commerce, and folk customs during the Northern Song Dynasty, and becoming a living museum for the study of Song Dynasty culture.
As a cultural calling card of Kaifeng City, the Millennium City Park has successively received honors such as "China Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Base" and "National Civilized Unit." In 2018, it was selected as one of the "Top Ten Henan Research and Study Tourism Demonstration Bases." It receives more than 3 million visitors each year and has become an important window for displaying the history and culture of the Song Dynasty.
Main Attractions
Rainbow Bridge
The Rainbow Bridge is the landmark building of the scenic area. It was built in imitation of the wooden arch bridge in Along the River During the Qingming Festival. The bridge is 158 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 12 meters high, spanning the Bian River. The bridge body does not use a single iron nail and is connected entirely by mortise-and-tenon joints, making it a model of ancient Chinese bridge architecture. Shops and acrobatic performances are set up on the bridge, restoring the Northern Song scene of "heavy traffic on the bridge and busy water transport below." It is a must-visit photo spot for tourists.
Fuyun Pavilion
Fuyun Pavilion is the tallest building in the scenic area, 31.99 meters high and four stories tall. It is an imitation Song-style pavilion building. Climbing the pavilion offers a panoramic view of the entire park. The first floor displays Northern Song court costumes, the second floor exhibits the four treasures of the Song Dynasty study, the third floor is a Bian embroidery exhibition hall, and the fourth floor has a tea area where visitors can enjoy tea and the scenery. Scheduled chime bell music and dance performances are staged in the pavilion every day, showcasing Northern Song court culture.
Nine Dragons Bridge
The Nine Dragons Bridge is the largest stone bridge in the scenic area, 72 meters long, 9 meters wide, and 6 meters high. Nine stone dragons are carved on the bridge in vivid forms. The bridge connects the royal gardens and market streets on both banks. Cormorant fishing performances are often held under the bridge arches, and a Song Dynasty weapons exhibition is set up beside the bridge, allowing visitors to learn about Northern Song military culture.
Great Song Imperial Examination
"Great Song Imperial Examination" is an interactive experience project in the scenic area, located in the imperial examination hall area and covering about 5,000 square meters. Visitors can put on Song Dynasty clothing and participate in a simulated imperial examination process, including the children's examination, provincial examination, and palace examination. The examiners are played by professional actors. Those with excellent final results can receive a "Top Scholar Certificate." This project receives more than 200,000 participants each year and is a vivid classroom for understanding the Song Dynasty imperial examination system.
Tokyo Dock
Tokyo Dock is the core area of Bian River water transport. It has more than 20 boats of various sizes, including grain transport ships, painted pleasure boats, and fishing boats. Visitors can take imitation ancient boats to tour the Bian River and enjoy market performances on both banks. At 19:30 every evening, the large-scale water-based live performance The Great Song: A Dream of Tokyo is staged, using modern technologies such as lasers and fountains to recreate the rise and fall of the Northern Song Dynasty. The performance lasts 70 minutes, with tickets starting at 168 yuan.
Wang Yuanwai Chooses a Son-in-Law
"Wang Yuanwai Chooses a Son-in-Law" is a classic folk performance in the scenic area, located at Wang Yuanwai's residence. It is performed six times a day (10:00, 11:00, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 16:30). The performance recreates the marriage customs of the Northern Song Dynasty. Visitors can participate in the interaction of throwing an embroidered ball to choose a son-in-law. The selected person can experience the entire wedding ceremony. Each performance attracts about 500 audience members and is a popular project for family outings.
Suggested Tour Routes：
Recommended one-day route: After entering the park at 9:00 a.m., first visit the Rainbow Bridge and the Bian River water transport scenery, and watch the 10:00 "Wang Yuanwai Chooses a Son-in-Law" performance; then go to Fuyun Pavilion to climb the tower and enjoy the view, and participate in the 11:00 "Great Song Imperial Examination" experience; at noon, taste soup dumplings, fried jelly, and other foods in the market street; at 13:30 p.m., watch the live performance "Yue Fei Challenges Little Prince Liang," then visit the Nine Dragons Bridge and Tokyo Dock, and take a boat ride to enjoy the Bian River scenery; at 17:00, go to the folk street to participate in paper-cutting, movable type printing, and other experience activities; at 19:30 p.m., watch The Great Song: A Dream of Tokyo and end the itinerary.
Recommended two-day route: On the first day, follow the one-day route, and stay overnight at the Mantingfang Boutique Inn in the scenic area; on the second morning, visit the Song Dynasty Science and Technology Museum and experience movable type printing, gunpowder making, and other projects; at noon, taste braised yellow croaker and mutton kang mo; in the afternoon, go to the drill ground to watch the large-scale horse battle performance "The Great Song: Yue Fei," then tour the Imperial Street and buy specialties such as Bian embroidery and official porcelain, leaving the park around 16:00.
Travel Suggestions：
It is recommended to spend 1-2 days, focusing on folk performances and interactive projects. In summer (June-August), pay attention to heat prevention and bring a sun hat and sunscreen.
For tickets to The Great Song: A Dream of Tokyo, it is recommended to purchase them 1-2 days in advance on the scenic area's official website or WeChat public account. Ordinary seats are sufficient for viewing.
The scenic area provides Song Dynasty clothing rental services, priced at about 50-100 yuan per hour, suitable for taking photos. The Rainbow Bridge, Fuyun Pavilion, and other attractions are recommended for photography.
There are many visitors on weekends and holidays. For popular performances such as Wang Yuanwai Chooses a Son-in-Law and Yue Fei Challenges Little Prince Liang, arrive 30 minutes early to secure a spot.
Visitors with children may prioritize research and study projects such as the Great Song Imperial Examination and movable type printing. The scenic area has a parent-child rest area and provides baby stroller rental services (30 yuan/day).
Notes：
Some performances in the scenic area involve open flames (such as gunpowder performances) and horses. Visitors with children must supervise them throughout and avoid approaching the performance areas.
The performance venue for The Great Song: A Dream of Tokyo is an open-air theater. In case of rain, it may be canceled or delayed. It is recommended to check the weather forecast before traveling and bring a raincoat.
Smoking, climbing ancient buildings, and other behaviors are prohibited in the scenic area. Some exhibition halls (such as the Song Dynasty Science and Technology Museum) prohibit flash photography.
Food prices in the scenic area are slightly higher than in the city. It is recommended to dine at time-honored restaurants in the market street and avoid buying food from mobile stalls.
The park lights are dim at night. It is recommended to travel in groups and keep personal belongings safe. The scenic area's customer service center provides lost-and-found services.
Transportation：
Public transportation: In Kaifeng city, take buses No. 1, 15, 20, 30, 31, or 33 and get off at the "Millennium City Park" station. From Kaifeng Railway Station, take bus No. 1 for about 40 minutes, with a fare of 1 yuan; from Kaifeng North Station (high-speed railway station), take bus No. 21 and transfer to bus No. 1, about 50 minutes in total, with a fare of 2 yuan.
Self-driving: From Zhengzhou, take the Zhengkai Avenue or Lianhuo Expressway, about 70 kilometers in total, about 1.5 hours by car. The scenic area has a large parking lot. Parking fee is 10 yuan/day, and may rise to 20 yuan/day on holidays.
Taxi: Taking a taxi from downtown Kaifeng to the scenic area costs about 15 yuan, and from Kaifeng North Station about 30 yuan. Both take about 20 minutes.
Opening Hours：
The scenic area is open all year round. Opening hours are 9:00-22:00 (April 1-October 31); 9:00-21:00 (November 1-next March 31). The performance time of The Great Song: A Dream of Tokyo is 19:30-20:40 (April-October, subject to the scenic area's announcement). Entry stops 1 hour before closing.
Tickets：
Ticket price is 120 yuan per person. The Great Song: A Dream of Tokyo in the scenic area requires a separate ticket, starting at 249 yuan.