A City with Culture and Charm, Sharing Fireworks - Observing the City | Culture | Economy of Kaifeng from the Perspective of Humanities and Economy
Dressed in splendid attire, holding a fan in hand, boating and opening the imperial river on a night with a faint fragrance. The river meanders, boats intersect, and the lights above and below the water surface shine. The pavilions sing and dance from afar, as if crossing through a dream of a bridge amidst the sound of oars and the shadows of lights.
Qingming Shanghe Garden, Tokyo Dreamland Live Performance... The customs and customs of traditional culture complement modern cities. Data shows that in the first seven months of this year, Kaifeng received a total of 740.61 million tourists and achieved a comprehensive cultural and tourism revenue of 44.078 billion yuan.
The rise and fall of Kaifeng city is closely related to the Yellow River.
Kaifeng, the ancient capital of eight dynasties with a history of over 4100 years of city and capital construction, is like a brilliant pearl in the process of Chinese civilization. Standing at a new historical starting point, Kaifeng is known as a cultural city, and the city is thriving with culture. It integrates excellent historical and cultural elements into the high-quality development of the city, nurtures the city's temperament with a people-oriented philosophy, and cultural inheritance and innovation complement economic and social development. The millennium old city is shining with the charm of a new era.
Half elegant, half fireworks
The main hall is majestic and majestic, the rivers and lakes are clear and slightly rippling, the covered bridges are flying, the lyrics and music are melodious, and between the railings and tiles, vendors dressed in jackets are vigorously soliciting business... Walking into the Qingming Shanghe Garden in Kaifeng, the magnificent scenery of Bianliang, as depicted by Zhang Zeduan, is overwhelming.
Kaifeng Qingming Shanghe Garden. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
Once stepping into the picture, one day dreaming back to a thousand years. With the blessing of technology, the details of history are no longer unattainable.
In the 5D cinema in the park, the seats sway with the flow of light and shadow. Tourists take a bird's-eye view and sometimes dive through the city gate, colliding with hurried vendors and pedestrians; Sometimes it brushes over the ridge of the roof and rushes up into the clouds, flipping over a few tiles on the roof, overlooking the curling smoke from Bianliang.
Tourists take photos while visiting the Qingming Shanghe Garden in Kaifeng. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
Immersive experience is the most distinctive feature of Kaifeng cultural tourism.
Starting from the "welcome ceremony" in Kaifeng Prefecture every morning, major scenic spots in the city have showcased their unique performances, with over 300 performances showcasing both ancient and new, stunning and stunning.
Tourists watch a performance at the Qingming Shanghe Garden in Kaifeng. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
As a thousand year old city, Kaifeng follows the temperament of Bianliang, and can be extremely elegant. Tourists have jingling hairpins, long sleeved gauze hats, and even the milk tea drinks on the street are called "slow voice" and "everlasting longing for each other"; You can indulge in the ultimate boredom with friends and family, shorts and fans, and make plans to drink freely at street vendors. Use the authentic "Kepu" to shout heartily, "Teacher, make another bundle!"
The smoke and fire of the human world are the most soothing to the hearts of ordinary people. As night falls, it is also the moment when the fireworks in Kaifeng rise. Night markets are full of love for life. Food is the soul of night markets. Strolling through the night market streets of Kaifeng, there are almond tea, stir fried cold noodles, instant beef tripe, and lamb kang buns. The delicious snacks have an enticing aroma, and the cultural and creative activities are dazzling. The lights and signs are arranged in rows, and the stalls are bustling with people.
Kaifeng Gulou Night Market. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
This kind of fireworks has been lingering in Kaifeng for thousands of years.
According to incomplete statistics, there are currently as many as 57 concentrated night markets in Kaifeng, with over 5000 operating stalls.
Consolidate the foundation, open up new areas, and promote industry through culture
Kaifeng is elegant, and there are chrysanthemums of all colors. It can be pleasing to the eye and fragrant on the tongue, both urban taste and Chinese brand.
Kaifeng is known as the "Chrysanthemum City" and has a history of chrysanthemum cultivation for thousands of years. Among the yellow flowers in the garden, Bian Chrysanthemum is the most famous.
In recent years, Kaifeng has expanded its "chrysanthemum culture", strengthened its chrysanthemum industry, and improved its chrysanthemum brand. It has comprehensively developed the value of chrysanthemum in terms of consumption, drinking, medicinal use, and brewing, and has developed a series of products such as tea, wine, cake, honey, porcelain, embroidery, etc. It has connected the planting, viewing, processing, and sales industry chain, and its products are sold well both domestically and internationally. Since the first Chrysanthemum Festival was held in Kaifeng in 1983, the Chrysanthemum Culture Festival has gradually become another gateway for Kaifeng to connect with the world.
During last year's Chrysanthemum Culture Festival, 114 projects were signed on-site in Kaifeng with a total investment of 147 billion yuan. A group of large enterprises took root in Kaifeng.
Creative transformation, continuation of context; Innovative development, consolidating the foundation and opening up new opportunities.
Bian embroidery, woodblock New Year paintings... In Kaifeng, there are as many as 281 intangible cultural heritage projects at or above the city level. Through exploration and innovation, traditional skills have been revitalized.
Cheng Fang, the inheritor of Bian embroidery, a national intangible cultural heritage protection project, is producing Bian embroidery works. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
Over the years, after several generations of Bian embroidery artists have made efforts to excavate and organize, the craftsmanship has become increasingly perfect. "We adopt a combination of painting and embroidery to innovate and develop Bian embroidery. Bian embroidery, which incorporates fashionable elements, is becoming increasingly popular," said Cheng Fang, the inheritor of Bian embroidery, a national intangible cultural heritage protection project.
Using needles as pens and drawing threads as ink. Under the spring breeze of Ten Fingers, the traditional Bian embroidery with delicate needlework and elegant style flows through various modern daily necessities such as scarves, handbags, and pillows, showcasing the beauty of Bianjing for thousands of years.
Cheng Fang, the inheritor of Bian embroidery, a national intangible cultural heritage protection project, is producing Bian embroidery works. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
The best inheritance is to integrate into the lives of the people.
During major festivals, the use of Zhuxian Town woodblock New Year paintings and Bianjing lanterns is inevitable, and the improved products have become popular souvenirs; Soup filled buns and bucket chicken fragrance waft through the streets and alleys, and some specialty snacks are processed into pre made dishes and served on the tables of thousands of households.
The rich cultural accumulation endows Kaifeng with a strong cultural tension. Relying on its resources and geographical advantages, Kaifeng established the first art bonded warehouse in the central region in July 2020, and the "National Cultural Export Base · Innovation Park" created in April 2022 integrates "cultural and creative" with "scientific and technological innovation", driving innovative development of the cultural industry and becoming an important channel for showcasing excellent traditional cultural innovation and sailing overseas.
At the National Cultural Export Base · Innovation Park located in Kaifeng, staff from the Script Interpretation Experience Center are testing the script. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
Amazing naked eye 3D screens, fairy tale like "Bian Huan Ling Jing"... Walking into the "National Cultural Export Base · Double Creation Park", immersive digital art space is both real and fantasy, beautiful and romantic. Since its establishment, the base has organized and promoted the export of cultural and artistic works to multiple countries and regions such as Germany, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco.
"The 'National Cultural Export Base · Double Innovation Park' actively cultivates international business entities, which has become a new carrier for Central Plains culture to go global," said Zheng Hongying, Executive Deputy Director of the Kaifeng Area Management Committee of Henan Pilot Free Trade Zone. With more frequent cultural exchanges with East Asian countries, Kaifeng is striving to become the "Capital of East Asian Culture".
At the National Cultural Export Base · Shuangchuang Park located in Kaifeng, staff from Zhonghua Book Company are organizing bookshelves. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
Empowering culture and revitalizing the city through culture. In 2022, the GDP of Kaifeng City reached 265.7 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 4.3%. Data shows that during the 13th Five Year Plan period, the economic contribution rate of the tertiary industry represented by the cultural and tourism industry in Kaifeng City reached 50.6%, injecting new vitality into the high-quality development of the city.
Spiritual Highland and Livelihood Welfare
At the archaeological excavation site of Shuntianmen City in Kaifeng, six city ruins from different periods, including the Warring States period, the Five Dynasties period, the Song and Jin dynasties, the Yuan dynasty, the Ming dynasty, and the Qing dynasty, are stacked from bottom to top.
Standing beside the ruins, gazing at the silent prosperity of the Eight Dynasties under the "City Stacks", feeling the sadness and indomitability of the repeated submergence and reconstruction of this ancient city on the south bank of the Yellow River, a never-ending spiritual force cannot help but reach the bottom of my heart.
This is the Zhouqiao Site of the Northern Song Dynasty in Kaifeng. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
Patriotism and family love, perseverance, and a long history have nurtured the unique humanistic temperament of the people of Kaifeng.
Today, a spiritual monument stands on this land - the spirit of Jiao Yulu - constantly inspires people to work hard and never forget the people.
Retired cadre Zhu Jinxi used his housing as collateral for loans, leading his fellow villagers to bravely embark on the road to wealth; Guo Jianhua, the "good girl who plays movies," has persisted in screening for grassroots people for more than 40 years; Physician Han Kunpeng has donated over 8000 milliliters of blood and successfully donated hematopoietic stem cells, winning the National Gold Award for Voluntary Blood Donation.
The new urban atmosphere, civilization is the foundation. Walking on the streets of Kaifeng, volunteer service "red vests" can be seen everywhere; As of now, there are 465000 registered volunteers in Kaifeng City, and more than 60 national moral models and Chinese good people have been selected and evaluated. There are good people in Bian, creating the most beautiful cultural background for Kaifeng.
The direction of the people, the concern of the mind; The people are in good health and the resources are abundant, and we look forward to your visit.
Comprehensively eliminate black and odorous water bodies, achieve "five connections" in the ancient city wall, and create a scenic "one channel and six rivers" water system. Build a 98.75 kilometer urban greenway, connect parks, rivers, lakes, and historical sites, successfully create a national forest city, and transform the winding 100 mile Yellow River ecological corridor into a river view park for people's leisure and sightseeing.
A city full of cultural charm and half of water, with lush greenery filling Kaifeng. Pushing the window brings an ancient style and elegant charm, and when you go out, you are in a green park. The picturesque scenery of standing by the water and looking up to see the green has become a reality.
Kaifeng Gulou Night Market. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
Traditional integration with modern, ancient style interpretation of fashion. Standing at the landmark building Gulou in Kaifeng, looking southeast, the cultural and commercial street in Gulou Village is brightly lit and bustling with people. But many years ago, this place was still a shantytown. In order to protect the style of the ancient city, illegal constructions were demolished in Kaifeng, and classical aesthetics were integrated into the architectural style to build a famous historical and cultural street.
Kaifeng collaborates with some bookstores, cultural and artistic venues, and other institutions to create distinctive urban study rooms, creating a "15 minute reading circle". The Xunshong Study specializes in historical and cultural themed books, while the Xuanhe Study mainly focuses on cultural tourism books. Citizens can borrow them for free and find "poetry and distant places" amidst the fragrance of books in the city.
Citizens are reading in the Song Dynasty study in Kaifeng. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
"Humanistic sentiment is the essence of high-quality urban development," said Huo Weifang, Director of the Housing and Urban Rural Development Bureau of Kaifeng City. Every street, alley, and courtyard carries precious memories of old Kaifeng, with a combination of ancient simplicity and modern fashion. It not only conforms to the trend of the times, but also retains nostalgia.
The ecologically pleasant and culturally prosperous cultural environment, which is livable and conducive to business, has become a golden signboard for Kaifeng to build nests, attract talents, and invest in and promote business. The relevant person in charge of the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Kaifeng City stated that the current opportunities in Kaifeng are overlapping, and the construction of Zhengzhou Kaifeng Science and Technology Innovation Corridor, Kaigang Economic Belt, and other areas is accelerating. The integration of Zhengzhou and Bianzhou has entered a new stage of Zhengzhou Kaifeng urbanization development, attracting more and more people from surrounding cities to settle and start businesses in Kaifeng. The pace of successful overseas individuals returning to their hometowns for entrepreneurship is accelerating, and the attraction to high-end outstanding talents is gradually increasing.
In 2022 alone, Kaifeng City has introduced 5 academician expert teams, 19 foreign high-end talents, and built 1 Central Plains Scholar Workstation. Hao Guoliang, an expert in the field of cardiac electrophysiology, returned to his hometown to establish Beiwei Technology Company and developed various models of three-dimensional cardiac function mapping instruments; Xu Xuejun, an American drug design expert, has led the research on targeted anti-cancer drugs to reach the world's advanced level.
At the Sigao Electrophysiology Research Institute of Henan Beiwei Technology Co., Ltd. located in Kaifeng, staff are performing patch clamp operations. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Haoran
"Development is for the people, development relies on the people, and development achievements are shared by the people. Kaifeng has always adhered to putting the people at the center, deeply implementing the new development concept, and effectively doing a good job in the 'warm article' of the humanistic economy, achieving deep integration of culture and economy in the new era, and making urban development more warm." said Gao Jianjun, Secretary of the Kaifeng Municipal Party Committee.
Respect history, culture, and ecology. Rooted in the fertile soil of history, Kaifeng gathers the development power of cultural empowerment, escorts high-quality development with humanistic spirit, and walks out a path of inheritance and innovation in the benign interaction between humanities and economy. A new era of Chinese path to modernization is slowly unfolding.
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