Kaifeng 
Zhuxian Zhen spring festival prints, or NianHua, date back to 1000 years ago and reached its prime time about 300 years ago.
Traditional people would put it on the front door before spring festival to pray for good fortune, happiness, and protection from harm.
The subjects of the prints are mostly based on gods or heroic characters from Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and folklores.
I鈥檓 sure you will enjoy this part as much as I did--- getting some hands--- on experience.
In normally takes six to eight boards to print one copy as each board fills out a different color on the print.
No wonder the color is so pretty. All five pigments were made from natural material. For example, yellow is from a special kind of flower, and purple, sunflower seeds! And one advantage of this pigment is that the color can last a long time.鈥
Although Zhuxian zhen NianHua was rejuvenated only in the past couple decades, it still boasts the most varieties among all the spring festival prints in China.
In Zhuxian zhen, you can find almost 100 different designs and over 300 wood boards. There are even antique boards from Ming dynasty 300 years ago.
NianHua is even getting more popular in overseas market as collection or decorating items.
Shan-shan-gan guildhall in downtown Kaifeng is a must-see for architectural buffs. Every building in the whole complex is decorated with dazzling woodcarvings. In addition to drawing from drama, folklores, or religious stories, some of the carvings here depict the daily life of ancient China, which is rare among the buildings from couple hundred years ago.
Altogether seven beams of all kinds of elaborate carvings and some carvings techniques were already lost.
The work is anything but Mimamlism. Images of auspicious intentions were formed with numerous animals, flowers, fruits and plants enter twining together or dangling down.
I鈥檇 say this kind of artwork is almost unimaginable given the hasty modern life pace.
The guildhall is now part of a temple to worship Guanyu, an ancient Chinese warrior who is known for his gallantry and loyalty. In good old times, (or of legendary Guanyu would be performed here.)
One of the symbolic views of Kaifeng city, iron pagoda, but it鈥檚 not made of iron, because it鈥檚 all covered with dark-colored glazed tiles, resembling the color of iron, so it鈥檚 called iron pagoda.
The pagoda was first built in the year of 1049 ad, and is one of a few relics in Kaifeng that had survived 900 years of warfare, flooding, and other natural disasters.
On the glazed tiles, there are around 50 different vivid carvings of Buddha sculptures.
The pagoda stands at 55 meters; it takes quite some climbing to get to the top.
