Water can carry a boat and capsize it. Similarly, water can make a place rich and destroy it in an instant. Kaifeng, once the world's first city, is a living example.

Kaifeng is located in central China, the hinterland of the Central Plains and the bank of the Yellow River. It has a history of more than 4,1 years. It has been the capital of Wei in the Warring States Period and Hou Liang in the Five Dynasties. It is the "ancient capital of the Eight Dynasties" and gave birth to Song Wenhua, which inherited the Han and Tang Dynasties and enlightened the Qing Dynasty. The prosperity of Kaifeng began in the Warring States Period.

in the sixth year of Wei Huiwang, the monarch of Wei moved to Daliang, which is now the Gulou District in Kaifeng. If a place wants to develop, it is naturally inseparable from water resources. Not only people need water, but also crops, animals and plants and industrial development. Therefore, Wei Huiwang ordered to cut a gap, and lead the Yellow River water to Putian, and then lead Putian water to the Huaihe River. Therefore, agriculture and commerce in Kaifeng have developed rapidly and become more and more prosperous. Wei Huiwang also built the Great Wall, which combined the governors to compete with Qin, and became more and more powerful, and the girder became one of the prosperous capitals at that time.

in 225 BC, Wang Ben blocked the Yellow River levee and introduced the Yellow River water into the gap, thus flooding the girders, resulting in the destruction of the city and the death of people. Kaifeng experienced this difficulty and was greatly weakened. It was not until 576 that Kaifeng, which had been declining for hundreds of years, gradually recovered its economy and became one of the eight important warehouses on the waterway where the Northern Wei Dynasty fought against southern countries. In 96, Zhao Kuangyin launched a mutiny in Chen Qiaoyi, four miles north of Kaifeng, and established the Song Dynasty, with Kaifeng as its capital. Since then, Kaifeng has ushered in the most prosperous one hundred years.

the song dynasty is the most glorious era in Chinese history, with developed economy and culture and prosperous national life. it is the political, economic and cultural center of the whole country. According to records, the population in Kaifeng city reached 1.5 million at that time. How prosperous was Kaifeng at that time? There is a saying in the history books: "Eight famines strive to gather together, and all countries are Xian Tong. Cao Cao led rivers and lakes, benefited from the South China Sea, earned wealth for half a day, and the department store in Shanze, and learned that this road was the way to enter. " In other words, half of the taxes in the Song Dynasty came from Kaifeng. Who did this in other cities? It can be seen that Kaifeng is prosperous. The Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival by Zhang Zeduan in the Northern Song Dynasty depicts the prosperity on both sides of Kaifeng Bianhe River. In addition, Kaifeng was the largest city in the world at that time.

With the change of dynasties, Kaifeng lost its former prosperity. At the end of the Song Dynasty, Kaifeng's dense water system became the best city for flood discharge because of silt raising the surface of the Yellow River and war. In 1387, the Yellow River water flowed backward into the city, causing Kaifeng to be swallowed up by water again. However, the disaster in Kaifeng is not over yet. In 1642, Li Zicheng besieged Kaifeng, and Kaifeng soon fell.

In order to destroy the rebels, the Ming army decided to follow Wang Ben's example and use water attack. The Yellow River water poured into Kaifeng City, destroying most buildings in the city, and most people were buried in the Yellow River water. The once prosperous city has gradually faded. The rise of Zhengzhou next door has made Kaifeng lose its status as the provincial capital for hundreds of years. But it still can't stop people's curiosity and love for this thousand-year-old city, and many tourists come here every year.