Introduction
Henan Province, 70km (43 miles) E of Zhengzhou
Located in central Henan Province, just 9km (6 miles) south of the Yellow River (Huang He), Kaifeng has a history lasting more than 2,700 years as the capital of seven dynasties. Its heyday was during the Northern Song, when it was known as East Capital (Dongjing), the most prosperous city in the world, with a population of 1.5 million. Kaifeng is also believed to be the first place the Jews settled when they arrived in China. Having survived fire, earthquake, and flooding from the Yellow River, Kaifeng today is a sleepy but charming town not yet overtaken by massive development, though the government's efforts to capitalize on tourism are kicking into high gear.
