Kaifeng
Henan Province Smaller cityCapital of the Northern Song a millennium ago and a byword for Chinese antiquity, Kaifeng is today a compact heritage city hosting Henan University — one of China's oldest campuses — with city walls, lakes and night markets at very low cost, half an hour from Zhengzhou.
- Song-dynasty heritage: city walls, the Iron Pagoda and the Millennium City Park
- Henan University's century-old lakeside campus
- One of China's most authentic night-market food scenes
- A rare layered history of Muslim and Jewish merchant communities
Living here
Monthly budget
CNY 1,600–3,200 (USD 220–450) / month incl. dorm or shared flat
Heritage-city prices — among the cheapest off-campus rents in this list.
Getting around
No metro yet — buses, taxis and shared bikes. Use Zhengzhou Xinzheng (CGO), 1–1.5 hours away by intercity rail or road.
Halal food
Very good: Kaifeng's historic Hui community is one of Henan's largest, with old mosque quarters, halal butchers and famous local halal snack traditions.
Healthcare
Henan University's affiliated hospitals anchor care; campus clinic first.
Climate
Continental four seasons — hot summers, cold winters around 0°C.
No metro — buses and bikes suit the flat old city; mobile payments are standard and English is scarce outside campus. The night markets are the social center of student life.
Factual fields as of 2026-09-21 — editorial estimate, not official figures.
Universities in Kaifeng (1)
0 English-taught programs tracked in this city — see them.