As the biggest scenic spot in Kaifeng, Longting Park totals 83.13 hectares, half of which is water area. This park mainly contains two lakes-Lake of the Family Pan and Lake of the Family Yang. What is strange is that the former is muddy while the latter is lucid, just mirroring two officials of Northern Song Dynasty: Pan Renmei-a treacherous official and Yang Jiye-an honest official.

The main architecture of Longting Park include Wu(Noon) Gate, Yudai(Jade Belt) Bridge, Zhao(Shadow) Wall, Zhao(Morning) Room, Dragon Pavilion, Chengong Gate Heritage of Northern Song Imperial Palace, Monument Pavilion, North Gate and East Gate. Dragon Pavilion is a grand hall built on a 13-meter brick terrace with 72 steps in the middle of which holds a huge dragon carving. The hall's ceiling is decorated with yellow glazed tiles, thus having impressive and dignified manner of the imperial family. On each side of the hall are placed eight Zhao (Morning) Rooms, forming an intact palace yard together with the hall. The hall also houses a Waxwork Hall which exhibits vivid waxworks.

History

A thousand years ago, Dragon Pavilion area was the Xuanwu Army Boarder General's office of Tang Dynasty. In the Later Liang Dynasty, it was reconstructed into the imperial palace named Jiangchang Palace. In the Later Jin, Later Han and Later Zhou Dynasty, it was still the palace but with a different name-Daning Palace. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a forbidden imperial palace was built here, thus this area reaching its heyday. In the later years of Jin Dynasty, this area became the imperial palace again. By the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's fifth son Zhu Di constructed his own house called Prince Zhou's Mansion in this place, prolonging this area's prime. Due to the flood from the Yellow River, the Coal Mountain became deserted and placed Wanshou(Long Life) Palace which housed memorial tablets of the dead emperors and the officials made regular visit to. Then its name was changed into Dragon Pavilion.