Lankao Lily, also known as Moro, Qiangqu, or foreign leek, is produced in Lankao, Henan. Known locally as "Kao Bai," it has a long cultivation history. Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, a successful scholar presented lilies grown in Kaocheng to the emperor, who was so pleased that he bestowed upon them the name "Kao Bai." The lily is highly nutritious, rich in protein, carbohydrates, and minerals...
Also known as hawthorn. It has a sweet and sour taste and is known for its functions such as aiding digestion and relieving indigestion. Currently, hawthorn pills used in medicine are warm in nature, strengthening the spleen and stomach while aiding digestion. They can also be processed into various foods such as hawthorn cakes, sugar-coated hawthorn, and hawthorn wine. Shali Red is large in size, bright crimson in color, with thin skin, thick flesh that is pinkish in hue, glossy and shiny, and boasts a deliciously sweet and sour flavor. …
The grape production in the Lankao area is abundant, with a wide variety of cultivars. The grapes produced here are known for their crystal-clear color, thin skins, tender flesh, sweet juice as honey-like, and rich nutritional content. Wines made from Lankao grapes are richly aromatic, crisp, and sweet, earning widespread acclaim and ranking among the finest of China’s domestic wines...
The five-spice pickled mustard tuber is a famous product of Kaifeng. In 1933, it won second place in a national pickled vegetable competition held in Shanghai. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it continued to be produced using traditional methods and was once transported in large quantities to the Korean War front to supply Chinese volunteer troops. This product uses large mustard tubers as the main ingredient, along with caramel color, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, tsao-ko pepper, galangal, and other spices. It undergoes three...
Bian silk gets its name from Bianliang, the ancient capital of seven dynasties. Its production began in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and it now has a history of over 300 years. In the late Ming Dynasty, Jing Wenzhou from Hongtong County, Shanxi, came to Kaifeng to engage in trade. In the early Qing Dynasty, he founded the “Jing Wenzhou Silk Shop.” Thanks to his excellent business acumen, reputation for integrity, and high-quality products, the shop’s market expanded steadily, making it a renowned product of the Central Plains...
Rice cultivation has a long history in Kaifeng. Records of rice planting in the capital can be found in the "Food and Commodities Annals" of the History of Song, and Chen Jinghan of the Song Dynasty also documented rice cultivation in the urban areas of Kaifeng in his work "Compendium of All Flowers." This shows that rice was grown in Kaifeng as early as the Northern Song Dynasty. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, through the construction of water conservancy projects diverting water from the Yellow River in the suburbs, rice…
The Song Dynasty official kilns were among the five renowned kilns of the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty scholar Gu Wenjian recorded in *Fuyan Zalu* that “during the Xuanhe and Zhenghe eras, the imperial court established its own kilns to produce ceramics, known as the official kilns.” From this, we know that the Xuanhe and Zhenghe periods in the late Northern Song Dynasty refer to the fifteen years between 1111 and 1125 during the reigns of Emperor Huizong. “The capital city” refers to Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng). “In the Northern…”
Straw weaving is a traditional handicraft in China, created by industrious and intelligent laborers in their daily lives and work. Ordinary wheat straw and wildflowers are transformed into exquisite and diverse artworks through the skillful hands of artisans. Kaifeng straw weaving flourished greatly during the Northern Song Dynasty. It could be found everywhere—in bustling streets, alleys, and rural estates...
Kaifeng peanuts are a renowned local specialty of Kaifeng, with a history of over 300 years dating back to the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. Located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, Kaifeng enjoys a mild climate, soft soil, and abundant sunlight — ideal conditions for peanut cultivation. As a result, the region boasts high peanut yields and excellent quality, earning it the well-deserved title of the “Peanut Kingdom” across China…
Bian Embroidery originated from Song Embroidery. According to the "Collected Drafts of the Song Council of State Affairs," on the eighth day of the third month in the third year of the Chongning era, Zhang Kangbo, then acting Assistant Director of the Palace Attendants, submitted a memorial stating: "Currently, embroidery used for imperial attire, ceremonies, and guest or sacrificial occasions all follow fixed patterns. However, the relevant authorities lack specialized embroiderers, so whenever such items need to be made, the work is entrusted to women from the streets or markets, or assigned to nunneries who charge for their services. … It is proposed to establish…"
A unique Chinese culinary art—Qi’s Big Knife Noodles, also known as “Longevity Noodles,” originated in the Song Dynasty in Lancao County, eastern Henan, a region abundant in wheat production. With over 100 years of history, these noodles...
Zhangbo Sesame Oil is a specialty of Lankao County, Kaifeng City, Henan Province. Zhangbo stone-ground sesame oil is made exclusively from high-quality domestic sesame seeds using China’s traditional “stone mill water flotation method.” This process effectively preserves the nutritional content of the sesame, resulting in an oil that is brownish-red in color with a rich, mellow, and long-lasting aroma. Lankao County Zhangbo Sesame Oil Co., Ltd. is a...
A traditional snack made by pounding unleavened dough into wide strips, spreading chopped scallions and diced lard on top, rolling them up, then pan-frying the flatbread before baking it in an oven. It is brushed with oil while baking until golden, crispy, and fluffy. Since the Republican era, those made by Wang Jingtai have been the most famous.…
I. Introduction to Lamb Roast Flatbread Lamb Roast Flatbread is one of the famous snacks in Kaifeng and is among the most beloved street foods for foodies. Whenever night markets open on the streets of Kaifeng, the line for Lamb Roast Flatbread is always the longest. This snack consists of a thin wheat flour flatbread wrapped around minced lamb and special seasonings...
The recipe for spiced rabbit meat has a long history, and you can also appreciate the charm of these distinctive delicacies during the preparation process. Spiced rabbit meat is a unique snack from Henan Province. It primarily uses rabbit meat as the main ingredient, is mainly cooked by boiling, and has a flavor profile categorized as "five-spice." When people mention Kaifeng’s spiced rabbit meat, many outsiders…
Rice cultivation in Kaifeng has a long history. The History of the Song Dynasty · Treatise on Food and Commodities records rice planting in the capital city, and Chen Jinghan of the Song Dynasty also documented rice cultivation in the suburban areas (outskirts) of Kaifeng in his work Collection of Flowering Plants. This shows that rice was already being grown in Kaifeng during the Northern Song Dynasty. In 1956, a five-bay sluice gate (with a flow rate of 40 cubic meters per second) was built at Heigangkou in the northwest of the city (now Nandi Village)...
Zhao Shuangquan trowels and axes were created by the master craftsman Zhao Hongzao and have over 40 years of production history. In 1961, they were designated as a renowned handicraft product by the municipal government. The trowel is made with one jin and two liang of iron and two liang of steel, undergoing five rounds of hot forging, as well as cold working and quenching processes, resulting in a flat, smooth, elegant, and well-crafted construction tool. This product…
The Wang Hulud Sickle from Kaifeng was created by the veteran artisan Wang Youcai. Passed down through three generations, it has a history of over a hundred years. This product is made from fire-resistant steel and iron, undergoing three rounds of hot forging in the furnace and cold processing. It is then quenched, followed by cold working such as flattening and surface finishing, before the sickle handle is attached to complete the product. The sickle is 138 centimeters long, …
The Shao Family All-Purpose Hoe was created by the master craftsman Shao Lansheng during the Republican era. Through improved techniques and enhanced quality, it became a renowned product well-suited for use in sandy soil. The production process includes material cutting (each hoe blade uses 2.5 jin of iron), punching holes in the blade socket, steel bonding (using 0.25 jin of steel), attaching steel edges, annealing, cold working, quenching…
Kaifeng Fangsheng Kaifeng Fangsheng was created by Wang Yuquan, a folk artist from Baliwan in Kaifeng, and has a production history of over 50 years. During the cooperative period, its production was continued by the city’s musical instrument production cooperative, and later by the Kaifeng Musical Instrument Factory. Kaifeng Fangsheng comes in large, medium, and small sizes, and generally consists of three main parts: the sheng body (shengdou), the pipes (shengmiao), and the reed plates (huangpian)...