Local Specialties
Bian Embroidery 汴绣
With the reputation of a national treasure, the Bian Embroidery has a long history and it is one of the most famous genres of embroidery in China. It has become famous all over the country since the Song Dynasty. The Bian Embroidery is always about the famous ancient Chinese paintings. The embroidery is skillful in craftsmanship and fine and closely stitched. It is exquisite in pattern, elegant in style and beautiful in color. So far the representative work of Bian Embroidery is the embroidery of Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival, a famous painting done by Zhang Zeduan, an artist in Bei Song Dynasty. In recent years the embroidery is making innovation by embroider the famous western paintings, decoration paintings, fresco and portrait paintings.
Where to Buy Bian Embroidery
Kaifeng Bian Embroidery Factory 开封汴绣厂
The embroidery products produced in the factory can be derived from paintings including famous paintings domestic and abroad, portraitures, mural paintings, oil paintings and decorative paintings. Visitors can go there to view the production processes, and buy Bian Embroidery.
- Address: 188 Mujiaqiao Street, Kaifeng City (开封市穆家桥街)
- Tel: 0378-5951 780, 5953 783
New Year Pictures of Zhuxian Town 朱仙镇年画
The New Year pictures of Zhuxian Town can be dated back to the Tang Dynasty and its prime time arrived in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is said that Zhuxian Town of Kaifeng City is the birth land of Chinese board watermark New Year pictures. Countryside characteristics can be found in this kind of New Year pictures. Its carving lines are smooth and the board is filled with pictures. The portrait on the board is always romantic and exaggerated. It is embodied with clear local characteristics. There are a great variety of New Year pictures, including pictures of the door-god, pictures to be posted in the kitchen and the sitting room and couplets etc. The topics of the pictures are usually about the people, stories and legends that the pubic are familiar with.
Straw weaving of Kaifeng City 开封草编艺术
The straw weaving of Kaifeng City was very popular in the Bei Song Dynasty. The simple and plain straw is turned into all kinds of beautiful pieces of art, woven by the skillful craftsmen. The straw weaving can be seen everywhere, in the streets, in the lanes and in the countryside yards. As the straw weaving products comes from life and serves our life, the art has been passed on for hundreds of thousands of years. The establishment Kaifeng Straw Products Factory enables the straw weaving in Kaifeng City to become more professional and the products can be woven in scale. It also helps to develop the art. The factory mainly produces all kinds of straw-made crafts, including straw-made baskets, straw handbags, straw-made children's hats, all kinds of straw-made hats, straw-made crafts of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs, artistic hanging panels, facial make-up in Chinese operas and the Eight Landscape of Bianliang Area etc. The products are rich in volume, beautiful in design, skillful in craftsmanship and lifelike in image-making with a three-dimension effect.
Where to Buy the Local Specialties
Songdu Yu Street 宋都御街
It is a business street imitated the style in the Song Dynasty (960–1279). Many unique articles can be found in this unique street, such as works of calligraphy and painting, antiques and local specialties including articles listed above (Bian Embroidery, New Year Pictures and Straw weaving and so on).
- Address: North section of Zhongshan Road (中山路北段)
- Bus Route: 1
Millennium City Park 清明上河园
It is a unique park in China which was made up with numerous unique buildings in Song style. Besides appreciate the unique landscapes, visitors also can buy some local specialties in the park.
- Address: West Longting Road, Kaifeng City (开封市龙亭西路)
- Tel: 0378-5663 819
- Bus Routes: 15 and 20
For Clothing
Zhongshan Road (中山路)
There are numerous shops offering all kinds of clothing and shoes, including products with famous bands.
Tongluo Wan Department Store 铜锣湾百货
It is a popular shopping place in Zhongshan Road, Kaifeng (开封市中山路). Clothing, shoes, bags, cosmetics and skin care products all can be found there.
