Dragon Pavilion Park (Longting)

Dragon Pavilion Park, known as Longting, lies in the Kaifeng Old City in Longting District, in eastern Henan province. Its centrepiece is the Dragon Pavilion, a Ming and Qing era hall standing on a tall raised platform that sits on the site of the Northern Song imperial palace. Kaifeng was the Song capital, and although little of the original palace survives above ground, the platform gives a sense of the scale of the imperial grounds. Visitors climb a broad flight of stone steps, about seventy of them, to reach the hall, which houses a statue and displays connected to the imperial history of the site. From the upper terrace, the view stretches across Kaifeng's old city, the two lakes and the surrounding gardens. Yang Lake and Pan Lake lie on either side of the axis, and their calm surfaces reflect the pavilion, creating one of the classic photo angles from the causeway path and from the lakeside. The park is popular with local residents, who stroll, practise tai chi, fly kites and take boat rides on the water. Chrysanthemum displays in autumn are a local highlight, because Kaifeng is known for its chrysanthemum festival. A visit takes one and a half to two hours, and the walk around the lakes adds time. Mornings are calm, the light is soft, and tour groups tend to arrive later. Weekends and national holidays are the busiest. The park is a natural pairing with Iron Pagoda Park and Kaifeng Prefecture, and it is about a 20-minute walk from the Drum Tower. Bus 1, 3 or 13 serves the area. Photography is allowed throughout the grounds. Visitors should note that the pavilion and platform are later reconstructions, so it is best enjoyed for its setting and history rather than as an original Song structure.