Luoyang Travel Guide

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Luoyang Overview

Luoyang, located in the western part of Henan Province, is a famous ancient Chinese capital. Having served as the capital for thirteen Chinese dynasties - the Xia (BCE 2000-1500), the Shang (BCE 1700-1027), the Western (BCE 1027-771) and Eastern (BCE 770-221) Zhou, the Eastern Han (CE 25-220), the Wei (CE 220-265) (aka Cao Wei, of the Three Kingdoms (CE 220-280) Period), the Western Jin (CE 265-316), the Northern Wei (CE 386-533) (of the Northern Dynasties (CE 386-588) Period), the Sui (CE 581-617), the Tang (CE 618-907), and the Later Liang (CE 907-923), Later Tang (CE 923-936) and Later Jin (CE 936-946) Dynasties, the latter three of the Five Dynasties (CE 907-960) Period - and spanning some 1500 years as a capital city, Luoyang holds the unique distinction of being the longest serving capital in China's history, though, barring an unforseen disaster which destroys the planet, that distinction will one day fall to the current capital, Beijing. It is perhaps a redundancy to point it out, but Luoyang was one of the Seven Ancient Captials of China.

Luoyang's position as a long-serving ancient capital means that round about the city are the remnants, some fully intact, of countless cultural-historical sites such as tombs, temples, grottoes, sculptures, stelae and other ancient ruins. Luoyang boasts eleven such sites, five of which are ancient city ruins along the Luo River dating from the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Han, and Wei Dynasties, with in all over 400,000 cultural-historical artifacts, accounting for one thirteenth of the total of such artifacts round about China.

   - Longmen Grottoes is one of the three largest carved stone art repositories in China, and houses the largest royal Buddhist stone carvings in the world. Longmen Grottoes has been enregistered on the World Cultural Heritage List.

   - White Horse Temple, another famous cultural-historical site, was the first Buddhist temple to appear in China. White Horse Temple was built in CE 68, during the reign (CE 58-75) of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty, at a time when Buddhism was just beginning to gain a foothold in China. The temple is reputed to be the "Home of Sakyamuni", Buddhism's founder, or the "Palace of Ancestors".

   - Guan Lin Temple, a series of temples in fact, is also the site where the head of Guan Yu, a famous general of the Kingdom of Shu (CE 221-263) Period of the Three Kingdoms Period, is supposed to be buried. The gravesite is one of the three largest commemorative gravesites thoughout the country for the revered general. Because of its link to Guan Yu, Guan Lin Temple has now become a holy site for visiting Chinese pilgrims from abroad, especially Chinese pilgrims from the Southeast Asia region.

   - The famous "Six-horse Carriage Driven by the Emperor", which was excavated from an Eastern Zhou Dynasty tomb, has enthralled the world.

   - Qian Tang Zhi Zhai is the largest museum boasting the richest stone inscriptions from the Tang Dynasty.

   - Mang Mountain, to the north of Luoyang, is a burial site consisting of royal tombs from various ancient Chinese dynasties. Mang Mountain was regarded as a place of special geomantic importance by successive imperial families.

Luoyang is one of the cradles of Chinese culture.  The "He-Luo Culture" - i.e., the classic Taoist cosmological diagrams, the He Tu and the Luo Shu - is esteemed as the "Origin of Humanity". Luoyang is also the place where the Li-Yue originated, Li-Yue being the fundamental institutional system employed by China's feudal lords to consolidate power. Luoyang is also the place where Taoism was founded, and the place from whence Buddhism took hold in China and was subsequently spread across the whole of China. Luoyang is also home to three of the Four Great Inventions of China: printing, the art of papermaking, and the compass. The Armillary Sphere, aka the Huntian Instrument - constructed on the basis of knowledge of the heavenly bodies - as well as the seismograph, both invented by the famous Chinese astronomer, Zhang Heng, also stems from Luoyang.

Quite apart from its cultural fame, Luoyang is characterized by fantastic natural scenery, comprising numerous high mountains and serpentine rivers. Qingyao Mountain to the west of Luoyang is known as the "Secret Capital of Huang Di". Huang Di ("Yellow Emperor") is a legendary figure who is supposed to have been the first sovereign to rule China (his supposed reign (BCE 2497-2398) would thus predate the existence of the first documented Chinese dynasty, the Xia Dynasty). To the south of Luoyang lies Songshang Mountain, the most important of the Five Great Mountains of China, as well as Funiu Mountain and Huaguo Mountain.

To the north of Luoyang, the roaring Yellow River is cut by the famous Xiao Lang Di Water Control Project, which has been instrumental in preserving a vast watershed spanning some 270 square kilometers. Within Xiao Lang Di Scenic Area, glimmering waters are surrounded by rolling hills and green valleys. And amidst the marshes rise small islets, covered with flourishing copses, that are home to countless birds. The beauty of the surrounding landscape makes Xiao Lang Di Scenic Area an ideal place to appreciate the unparalleled charm of China's "Mother River".

The graceful and fragrant Luoyang Peony has been regarded as the world's No. 1 flower since ancient times. The sixty-eight large peony plantations in Luoyang boast over 900 varieties of peonies, such as  the Yellow Yao, the Purple Wei, the Green Tou, the delicately pink Er Qiao (a reference to two beautiful sisters, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, who were much sought after by the famous Chinese warlord, Cao Cao (CE 155-220), who also laid the foundation for the later Cao Wei Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms Period, and was posthumously honored with the title of Emperor Wu of Wei), and the Black Kui. Although Luoyang has long been known for its flower horticulture, growing peonies has always - and remains - the choice flower of Luoyang's horticulturists.

The picture-postcard images of the city, dotted with a sea of flowers in bloom in springtime, is most vividly depicted in a well known poem which reads, "Every blossom causes a sensation in the capital". Although it only blooms for a period of twenty days, the fragrant peonies charm the whole of Luoyang, including its visitors. Since 1983, over two million tourists - and lovers especially of the Luoyang Peony - from all over the world have been drawn to the city by the annual Luoyang Peony Festival. Luoyang has thus earned yet another international title: "The Home of the Peony". The annual Luoyang Peony Festival helps foster interest in the Luoyang Peony all across China, and throughout the rest of the world.