Kaifeng Gulou Night Market (开封鼓楼夜市)

Kaifeng Gulou Night Market (开封鼓楼夜市) is the best-known night food market in Kaifeng, Henan Province. It is centred on Gulou Square (鼓楼广场) on Zhongshan Road in Gulou District, in the old city that served as the Northern Song capital. The market draws both local families and visitors touring the historic centre, and its food culture is often described as the main reason to stay in Kaifeng after dark.

Stalls sell a wide range of Kaifeng street food, including peanut cake, soup-filled buns (guantang bao), pancake rolls, roast mutton skewers and fried sweet-potato balls. The soup-filled buns reflect the city's most celebrated dish, while the mutton skewers and pancake rolls reflect the province's wheat-and-lamb cooking. A mixed street-food dinner typically costs about ¥30 to ¥70 per person, depending on how many items are sampled. The usual approach is to walk the length of the market, buy a few portions from different stalls and eat standing or at shared tables.

The atmosphere is crowded, neon-lit and high-energy. Vendors call out, smoke rises from grills, and the market grows denser as the evening advances. There is no dress code, and the noise level is high. Beverages are limited to tea, soy milk, soft drinks and beer sold by nearby vendors; there is no formal wine or drinks programme, and the market is best treated as a walk-and-graze experience rather than a seated meal.

No reservations are possible. The market runs from about 5:00 PM until 1:00 AM daily, with the peak between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Payment is generally by Alipay or WeChat Pay, and most stalls display a QR code. Visitors who do not have a linked mobile wallet should carry some cash. Summer evenings are the liveliest, while winter evenings are quieter and colder. The market combines naturally with a stroll around Gulou Square and the surrounding old-city streets.