Kaifeng Qingming Shangheyuan, Again and Again (Part 2)

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Just came out after watching “Yue Fei Defeats Prince Xiao Liang”(Kaifeng City, Henan Province, China) — it was already 3:23 PM. I’d had too much water with my popcorn, so I followed the navigation to find a nearby restroom.

Then I realized there was a cultural creative shop right next to it, so I went in to see if there was anything good. I took a quick look around the entrance and was about to leave — the shelves were all filled with boring, uninspired trinkets.

But I pushed myself to look deeper inside anyway, and suddenly I spotted some ceramics — one cat-shaped one really caught my eye!

It was really beautiful, and only 78 yuan. It’s made from Jun porcelain — the Jun kiln is one of the five famous kilns in China!

I searched online, and no other piece could compare to this one in shape or color. There was also a blue version of the same style, but this red one was prettier, so I bought it on the spot.

The box it came in was also very fancy — it felt like I’d spent 780 yuan.

I continued wandering around to see what new performances there were.

Suddenly I noticed people sitting on the steps ahead — they were waiting for the lion dance. What an adorable yet majestic lion!

Amazing — the plum-blossom poles were estimated to be over 1.3 meters high, and this yellow lion leaped right up! No run-up needed — it succeeded on the first try!

No wonder there was a black lion — it turned out to represent the “Jin Bandits” (a derogatory term used by Song Dynasty soldiers and civilians for the Jin army that invaded from the north, from the Jurchen-established Jin Dynasty).

Before I knew it, I’d made my way to the riverbank, which was packed with people — I knew then that “Defense of Dongjing” was about to start.

Standing on the hilltop, you could see everything clearly — the battle had begun!

After about ten minutes, the show ended and I headed down the hill. On the way down, I saw several slim, fairy-like aunties.

So it seems you’d better not gain weight even in old age — that way you can make the fairy costumes (which look like a modern adaptation of Tang Dynasty Hanfu) look even better.

It was getting close to evening when I suddenly remembered there was a fantastic performance called “Dream Music of the Song Court.” I’d discovered it by chance last year — I’d planned to just casually watch, but the live performance was absolutely stunning!

The Song emperor really did call himself “Guanjia” (literally “the official house”) — that’s how Song emperors styled themselves.

The dancing was truly graceful — those water sleeves flicked so beautifully!

One person played the xiao (vertical flute), another played the guqin while singing along — truly superb, even better to watch and listen to than in TV dramas.

The group dance that followed was breathtaking — there was so much to take in! The performers are even more beautiful in person than in the photos; the pictures kind of flatten their faces.

After the show ended, two kids immediately ran up to play with the drums.

I tried it too — it was quite fun to play, haha~

After playing a bit, I went downstairs to wander around. By the roadside, I found a place with free phone charging — how magical!

I have to say, fairy-style costumes (very similar to Hanfu from China’s Wei and Jin dynasties) are so trendy this year! Next chance I get, I want to try that kind of styling and makeup.

Walking under the “city gate,” I suddenly discovered that they’d “evolved” a children’s version of the prisoner’s cage! It was cartoonish and adorable.

As I walked, I smelled a strong odor — it turned out horses were coming.

Horse riding costs 20 yuan per person, but my outfit today wasn’t really suitable, so I’ll give it a try next time.

It was almost 6 PM and I was getting hungry — time to go find something delicious!

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~