Chenqiao Post Scenic Area

Chenqiao Post Scenic Area

Chenqiao Post Scenic Area is located in the southeastern part of Fengqiu County, on the northern bank of the Yellow River, facing the ancient capital of seven dynasties, Kaifeng, across the river. The scenic area stretches 18.9 kilometers from east to west and 16.7 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 172.1 square kilometers.

In the spring of 960 AD, under the instigation of Zhao Kuangyin and others, the governors of Zhenzhou (present-day Zhengding, Hebei) and Dingzhou (present-day Dingxian, Hebei) sent false reports claiming that the armies of Northern Han and the Liao Dynasty had joined forces to march southward and attack the Later Zhou Dynasty, with great momentum, and requested military assistance. The prime ministers of the Later Zhou, such as Fan Zhi and Wang Pu, failed to verify the truth and hastily dispatched Zhao Kuangyin with the nation’s elite troops to resist the threat. Zhao Kuangyin led the army to Chenqiao Post, where he stopped. That night, under his orchestration, the “Chenqiao Mutiny” was launched. A trusted aide proposed that Zhao Kuangyin be made emperor, and the generals all agreed. Subsequently, Zhao Guangyi and Dou Pi deployed the troops under Zhao Kuangyin's orders, and late at night, someone was sent back to Kaifeng to inform Zhao Kuangyin’s confidants—Shi Shouxin and Wang Shenqi, the imperial guards stationed in the capital—to prepare an internal response. Early the next morning, on January 4, 960 AD, shouts suddenly erupted around Chenqiao Post, shaking the fields. Zhao Kuangyin, just awakened from his drunken sleep, hurried out of his tent to investigate and saw that the area outside was already filled with generals armed with weapons. Upon seeing Zhao Kuangyin, the generals unanimously shouted, “The army has no leader; we wish to support the Inspector-General as our emperor.” They then surged forward, brought Zhao Kuangyin into the tent, and someone draped the yellow imperial robe—prepared in advance—over Zhao Kuangyin. The generals all knelt down and proclaimed “Long live the Emperor!” Soon after, Zhao Kuangyin led his troops back to the capital, deposed Chai Zongxun, and ascended to the throne. Over the following decade, the Northern Song Dynasty gradually eliminated other separatist regimes, ending the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. After the establishment of the Northern Song, the rulers strengthened centralized authority in politics, economy, and military.

Henan, Xinxiang