Luoyang · Henan
Luoyang, capital of thirteen dynasties, holds the Longmen Grottoes, China's first Buddhist temple and the April peony festival. Private Luoyang tours from US$129 a day.
The short version
The place itself
Luoyang has been a capital for longer than almost anywhere in China — thirteen dynasties over some 1,500 years, starting with the Eastern Zhou and running through the Eastern Han, the Northern Wei and the Tang. It sits in western Henan on the middle reaches of the Yellow River, in the heart of the Heluo region that Chinese tradition calls the birthplace of the nation. The old saying 'everything under heaven lies at its centre' was written about this patch of ground.
The city wears that history lightly, mostly underground. The Longmen Grottoes are the reason most visitors come: two hills facing each other across the Yi River, carved over 400 years from the Northern Wei into the Tang, with about 100,000 statues in 2,300 caves and niches. The great Vairocana Buddha at Fengxian Temple is the one everyone photographs — a serene, faintly feminine face that legend says was modelled on Empress Wu Zetian.
Beyond the caves, Luoyang is a city of firsts and rituals. The White Horse Temple is where Buddhism is said to have entered China, named for the horses that carried the scriptures. The Luoyang Water Banquet is a 24-dish feast that arrives in waves, each dish swimming in broth. And every April the whole city turns over to the peony, its 'king of flowers', with parks and roadside beds blazing yellow, pink and purple.
Pins are plotted from real latitude and longitude on a 5° graticule. This is a schematic orientation diagram, not a political map — no boundaries are drawn.
The UNESCO-listed cave complex along the Yi River, with 2,300 caves and some 100,000 Buddhist figures carved between the fifth and eighth centuries. The giant Vairocana Buddha at Fengxian Temple is the masterpiece, and the evening lights make the cliffs glow.
Founded in 68 AD, this is China's first official Buddhist temple and the place Buddhism is said to have taken root in the country. The old halls sit among newer temples built by Thailand, India and Myanmar, a quiet compound about 12 km east of the city.
The tomb and shrine of Guan Yu, the three-kingdoms general deified as the god of loyalty — his head is said to be buried here. Ancient cypresses, a stone tomb mound and halls of carved eaves make it the finest old complex in town.
From early April to mid-May, peaking around 15 April, Luoyang becomes a city of flowers — the 'king of flowers' shown in thousands of cultivars at Wangcheng Park and the National Peony Garden. The tradition runs back to the Tang, when Luoyang was the empire's peony capital.
A rebuilt gate opens into the surviving old streets, where wood-fronted shops, snack stalls and the century-old Zhenbutong restaurant cluster around the cross-street market. This is where to eat the Water Banquet and prowl the antique stalls after dark.
South of the city, the Funiu range holds the 1,308 m Zhu'yu Peak and the Taoist Laojun Mountain, a 2,200 m summit wrapped in cloud and golden temples. These are full-day or overnight side trips for anyone who wants mountain air between the temples.
Luoyang has its own airport, Beijiao (LYA), on the Mangshan ridge 10 km north of the centre, with domestic routes to Guangzhou, Chengdu, Dalian and others; a taxi to town is about ¥20 and buses 83 and 27 run in. For long-haul international flights most travellers use Zhengzhou Xinzheng (CGO), about 1.5 hours away by road or a short high-speed-rail hop to Zhengzhou, then the metro or a bus to the airport. By rail, Luoyang is where the Longhai and Jiaozhi trunk lines meet, with two big stations — Luoyang Station downtown and Luoyang Longmen for high-speed trains from Xi'an, Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan.
In the city, buses cost ¥1 or ¥1.5 and reach every sight; 81 and 53 run to the Longmen Grottoes, and 56 goes to the White Horse Temple from Xiguan. Taxis start at ¥5 for the first two kilometres, then ¥1.5 a kilometre, rising to ¥6.5 after 10pm; the run out to Longmen takes about 30 minutes and costs ¥35–40. Note that taxis on Zhongzhou Road run on an odd-even plate rule by day, so flag one on the right side.
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°C / 4°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
| February | 14°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Very busy | Good |
| March | 18°C / 10°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| April | 24°C / 16°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| May | 28°C / 21°C · cool, damp | Busy | OK |
| June | 32°C / 25°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| July | 35°C / 28°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| August | 34°C / 27°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| September | 29°C / 23°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| October | 24°C / 17°C · clear and mild | Very busy | Best |
| November | 18°C / 11°C · clear and mild | Quiet | Best |
| December | 13°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
Two days is the honest minimum: one for the Longmen Grottoes and the museums, one for the White Horse Temple, Guanlin and the old town. Three days is comfortable and adds a mountain day at Laojun or White Cloud Mountain, or the ancient-tombs museum out on Mangshan. If you come for the peonies in mid-April, allow a full extra half-day for the parks and book everything early — hotels and flights both spike.
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Two days covers the city: the Longmen Grottoes and the Luoyang Museum on day one, the White Horse Temple, Guanlin and the old town on day two. Three days lets you add Laojun Mountain or White Cloud Mountain, or the ancient-tombs museum at Mangshan. Add half a day in mid-April if you come for the peonies.
Mid-April for the peony festival, which peaks around 15 April, or September to November for clear, dry weather and smaller crowds. Late April into May also brings the cherry season. Summer is hot and wet and winter is dry and cold; the peony fortnight is far the busiest and most expensive time of year.
Yes. The combined ticket of about ¥120 also covers Bai Garden and Xiangshan Temple, so plan half a day. Go early in the morning or in the late afternoon when the light is soft and the coaches have thinned; the caves face the river and the evening illumination is a different experience again.
High-speed rail is easiest — Luoyang Longmen Station links Xi'an in about 1.5 hours, Zhengzhou in 40 minutes and Beijing in roughly 4. Regional flights use Luoyang Beijiao (LYA), 10 km north of town; for long-haul you fly into Zhengzhou Xinzheng (CGO) and connect by rail or road.
The Luoyang Water Banquet is the signature — 24 dishes served in waves, every one of them swimming in broth. Order the peony duck-egg dish (Mudan Yancai), sliced pork in soup and the fried meatballs. The old town around Lijing Gate and the cross-street market are the best places to try it, and the street snacks are cheap.
Yes, and it is a popular day trip. The Shaolin Temple at Songshan in Dengfeng is about 80 km away, roughly 90 minutes by coach from Luoyang's long-distance bus station or by car on the expressway. The temple ticket is about ¥100, and a private Luoyang tour can pair it with the grottoes over two days.
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