Kaifeng Qingming Shangheyuan, Again and Again (Part 1)

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In May this year, I suddenly remembered that the annual passes I bought for Qingming Shangheyuan (abbreviated as “Qing Yuan”) and Wansuishan Wuxiacheng(Kaifeng City, Henan Province, China) were about to expire. So I booked train tickets on the waitlist (because tourism in Kaifeng is incredibly popular — often when tickets go on sale, even if I stare at the screen without blinking at the exact second they’re released, they immediately show as sold out).

My luck was off the charts — on the evening of May 4th, after taking a shower, I came back to find that my waitlist request had been successful!

In mid-May, we arrived in Kaifeng. We like to explore different areas, so we stay at different locations each time. This time, we stayed at a hotel right across from Qing Yuan.

There were several Hanfu costume and styling shops downstairs, but I brought my own Hanfu.

Just across a bridge, and you’re at the main entrance of Qing Yuan!

The crowd was just right — not too many, not too few~

There’s also a character recruitment area here where you can change costumes for free, with a return time of 7:30 PM that day. That’s pretty nice!

This time, let’s explore the less familiar corners — heading left.

The lotus flowers in the lake look so realistic! Leaning on the lakeside railing and enjoying the breeze is very comfortable.

Along the way, there were staff members coming and going, as well as many tourists dressed in Hanfu costumes.

Walking further ahead, I discovered a newly created scene. The Hanfu (Tang Dynasty chest-high skirt) that girl was wearing matched perfectly with the pink peach tree (fake)!

After waiting a while, she still wasn’t done with her photos, so we went to explore other places first.

I randomly walked to this arched bridge and discovered there was actually a water jetpack show here, and they were even giving out Jiaozi (Qing Yuan’s tokens that can be used for spending within the scenic area)! I thought only Wansuishan Wuxiacheng had this performance.

There was one performer on each side of the arched bridge. Some audience members even called performers over, handed them their phones, and asked them to record videos while on the water! And the performers actually agreed — how nice is that!

However, the water jetpack area here didn’t have specially designed scenery, so it wasn’t as beautiful as the one at Wansuishan Wuxiacheng. Last time at Wansuishan Wuxiacheng, it looked like a game scene — a visual feast!

Today’s weather forecast predicted moderate rain, heavy rain, and torrential rain, which scared away many people. So today wasn’t crowded at all — really wonderful!

Actually, it was just overcast today, which was perfect — not too hot. Standing on the bridge enjoying the breeze, a fairy appeared.

I checked the mini-program, and it turned out this performance was called “Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers.” However, the wind was a bit strong, and the fairy didn’t come over. I’ll check again in the evening.

Walking around this area, I discovered a performance happening on the road — “Rescuing the Prison Cart.” The performers wearing Song Dynasty Hanfu looked exactly like ordinary civilians in TV dramas.

I really liked the Hanfu set in front — the Song-style vest with the pleated apron.

During the performance, audience members could participate. Just squat down inside and you could receive Jiaozi tokens — that’s so generous! But I was on the third level and couldn’t squeeze in!

Right after the performance ended, I heard a man with a booming voice behind me rapidly reciting some advertising slogan or lines. I thought it was a performer, but it turned out to be someone soliciting customers at a restaurant entrance. You’d need some real public speaking skills for that job!

However, I don’t eat noodles, so I had to find other delicious food elsewhere. I randomly bought some lamb kangmo (flatbread), beef tripe hotpot, and almond tea. The taste was average, but you can’t expect too much from snacks inside scenic areas.

The tables and chairs here are available for anyone to sit at — just take any empty seat.

After eating, I discovered it had cleared up from being overcast, haha~ Just as netizens said, rain in Kaifeng mainly happens at night, and during the day there’s basically no rain. Heavy rain equals moderate rain, which is less than or equal to no rain.

I checked the performance schedule again, and it turned out “Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers” happens once an hour. Great, let’s head over right away!

Walking around, I noticed a crowd gathered ahead — they were watching a dragon dance.

Too many people — might as well sit on the railing across the street and watch from there. The view was still clear. After it ended, everyone dispersed. Soon another performance began.

Just like Wansuishan Wuxiacheng, Qing Yuan has various performances everywhere at any time. There’s really no need to rush from one to another.

Walking further, I saw another new performance — water meteor. Audience members could even go up and interact!

Going up to interact could earn you Jiaozi tokens. Many people raised their hands, and after several attempts I couldn’t grab a spot. Oh well, let’s just wander around and see what else is fun.

Suddenly I heard an announcement — it turned out “Yue Fei Defeats Prince Xiao Liang” was about to start. Let’s go in first!

My luck was as good as ever — on my fourth visit, I got a prime seat again! It was 2:03 PM at this point.

I sat down and bought a popcorn for 10 yuan — the taste was average. Around 2:20 PM, the host started calling tourists down for interaction.

To earn Jiaozi tokens, some interactive tourists formed teams on the spot — that’s actually a good strategy!

Later, during the vote-soliciting segment, some people even kneeled down on the spot, and other participants followed suit.

However, in the end, the two people running with the national flag were the ultimate winners! That’s when the applause was loudest and most enthusiastic.

It started raining a few minutes before the official performance, but it didn’t affect anything. One important note: definitely don’t sit in the first few rows — even if it’s not raining, water will still be sprayed from above.

This performance had many fewer details than before — it felt like an abbreviated version. I’m glad I watched the spectacular version in 2024, with many stunning, incredibly difficult horseback riding performance moves and cooler multi-performer interactions on horseback.

After the performance ended, the rain had cleared and the sun came out. Let’s go to the next fun place in the scenic area~

I enjoy slow-paced travel and never do rushed, check-the-box sightseeing. If you also like this style of traveling, feel free to follow, like, save, comment, and share. Thank you for reading this far~