Terrace of King Yu

Hours & Admission Price Peak Season
Jan.-Dec.
07:00-19:00
10 Low Season
Jan.-Dec.
07:00-19:00
10 Address & Phone No.38 east Po Pagoda Street, Kaifeng City, Henan Province Transportation One can take bus No. 8, 12 15 to get there. Notes

Located about 1.5 kilometers to the southeast of Kaifeng City, Terrace of King Yu is a park with luxuriant forests and quite environment. It is a must see when traveling in Kaifeng.

Terrace of King Yu lies in the east Po Pagoda Street, Kaifeng City and covers an area about 26.7 hectares. Also known as Guchuitai, Terrace of King Yu was firstly built to memorize King Yu, the legendary leader of the Xia Dynasty (2033BC-1562BC), who made great efforts in taming of the flood. With luxuriant forests and quite environment, Terrace of King Yu has become into a Terrace of King Yu Park, which attract many tourists every year.

History

Shikuan, a famous music master in Jin country of Spring and Autumn Times, once played musical instrument here, therefore, it was called Guchuitai. It is said that the beautiful melody reeling the beams letting people unforgettable for three days, so the King of Liang times built a Chuitai here to show respect to this great musician. Later, Kaifeng was damaged by the heavy flood many times. In order to memorize the great achievement of Dayu, a sculpture of King Yu was built on the terrace in the year of 1523 in the region of Emperor Jiajing in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Guchuitai was renamed as Terrace of King Yu. With towering ancient trees, flowering garden, and quiet environment, Terrace of King Yu is a tourism resort in Kaifeng City.

It was renovated many times during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasties (1644-1911). At present, the main scenic spots include memorial archway, Yushulou (the King’s Library), Sanxianci Temple (Temple of Three Saints), King Yu’s Temple, and the Shuideci Temple.

Memorial Archway

Located in the front of the Guchuitai, memorial archway is a three storey wooden structure. It was covered with gray glazed tiles and titled with Guchutai three Chinese characters in the middle of the lintel. It is one of the most representative ancient architectures in the park.

King Yu’s Temple

King Yu’s Temple is an exquisite courtyard. The King Yu’s sculpture built in the Ming Dynasty was gone, what exists in the temple was the one rebuilt in 1982. It is 1.6 meters high and wears dragon robe, which is decent and grand. Two murals were inscribed on the wall of the temple. One is about the King Yu taming of the flood, while the other one is about the great effort made by King Yu. On the north of the hall, there inlaid with stone inscription of Ming and Qing dynasties, which is unique in scrip and provides precious to the study of Chinese calligraphy.

Sanxianci Temple

Built in 1517 in the Ming Dynasty, Sanxianci Temple was built to memorize the three great poets of the Tang Dynasty (618-917), Li Bai, Du Fu, and Gao Shi, who came here to compose poems while drinking wine in the spring of 744. Many universally acclaimed poems were left.

Shuideci Temple

Shuideci Temple was built to memorize the 37 persons who made great efforts to control the flood in different dynasties.

Temple Fair

Temple Fair was started from the North Song Dynasty (960-1127) and developed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has a history of more than 1000 years.This festival is held at the Terrace of King Yu in every April. The unique drum, lion dance, stilts, martial arts, acrobatics, traditional folk skills and theatrical performance enrich the activities in the garden and attract thousand of tourists every temple fair.

Kaifeng Culture