History of  Luoyang

Located in the west of Henan Province in central China, Luoyang occupies quite an important geographic location. It is in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and is encircled by mountains and plains. To its east and west are the Hu Lao Pass and Han Gu Pass which were essential domestic transportation junctions in ancient times. To its north, Mengjin County was an important ferry crossing of the Yellow River. Thus, Luoyang was selected as the capital city by 13 dynasties starting from the Xia Dynasty (21st-16th century BC) in the 21st century BC. In the period following the Han Dynasty (206BC-220), and particularly during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, the city experienced a period of growth and prosperity and ranked as one of the international metropolitans of the time.

Its long history endows Luoyang with a profound sense of culture. The city is the cradle of Chinese civilization where many Chinese legends happened, such as Nvwa Patching the Sky, Dayu Controlling Flood and the Chinese ancestor Huangdi Establishing the Nation. The city is also famed as the 'Poets Capital' as poets and literates of ancient China often gathered there and left grand works, including 'Book of Wisdom' ('Daode Jing'), 'Han History' ('Han Shu') and 'Administrative Theory of Admonishing Official' ('Zi Zhi Tong Jian'). Religious culture once thrived here. Taoism originated there and the first Buddhist temple set up by the government was located there. Luoyang is also the hometown of many of the scientific inventions of ancient China, such as the seismograph, armillary sphere, paper making, printing and the compass.

Luoyang has rich historical and cultural sites. The Longmen Grottoes are one of China's three most precious treasure houses of stone sculptures and inscriptions. The White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple and is honored as the 'Cradle of Buddhism in China'. Mt. Mangshan is where ancient tombs of emperors, nobles and literates in the past dynasties collected. The Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum is the world's first example of the kind and presents thousands of treasures discovered in the tombs. Shaolin Temple is the place of origin for Chinese Zen Buddhism and the cradle of Chinese Martial Art. Landscapes in Luoyang hold the same attraction as the cultural sites. White Cloud Mountain, Funiu Mountain, Long Yu Wan National Forest Park, Ji Guan Limestone Cave and the Yellow River Xiaolangdi Scenic Area are all worth a visit. Additionally, Luoyang is particularly well known for its peonies. Every year in April, the flowers blossom and attract tourists from all over the world.

Tourist Places in Luoyang

Located on both banks of the middle reaches of the Yellow River in the western part of Henan Province with a history spanning 5,000 years, Luoyang is one of China's seven ancient capitals. The State Council lists it in the first group of the famous historical and cultural cities. Luoyang is one of the important cradles of Chinese civilization with profound cultural detail.

LONGMEN GROTTOES
The world-famous Longmen Grottoes are located 12 kilometers south of Luoyang. Here two mountains, namely, East Hill and West Hill, confront each other with the Yi River traversing northward between them, just like a pair of Chinese gate towers.

SHAOLIN TEMPLE
Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng County, Henan Province was built in 495, the 19th year of the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was named Shaolin because it is at the northern foot of Shaoshi Mountain and surrounded by densely growing trees. Bodhidharma advocated self-cultivation through sitting meditation and held that meditation is of primary importance to the attainment of Buddhahood.

THE GUAN YU FOREST
The Guan Yu Forest is actually the memorial temple and the tomb for Guan Yu. It is called "Forest" merely because there are many ancient pine and cypress trees surrounding the area, which is located right in Guanlin Town, south of Luoyang City. General Guan Yu, well-known for his loyalty, faithfulness, boldness and power, had been regarded as the peerless hero and raised to the level of quasi-religion and therefore worshiped as a Buddha from the Three Kingdoms period to the Sui Dynasty,.

How To Reach Luoyang

By Air :
Located about 10 kilometers (about six miles) north of Luoyang City, Luoyang Beijiao Airport (LYA) is one of the most important transportation facilities of the province. It was built in 1986 and now has China's most favorable clearance rating, which enables flights to be operated successfully on more than 350 days per year. It also offers special services for the disabled, seniors and children.

Because of its advanced facilities and excellent services, the airport attracts many airline agencies to operate more than 20 flights to other large cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing and Urumqi. Charter flights to Hong Kong and Okayama connect the city with more international cities. Our China Flights offers more information about specific flights including departure and arrival cities, schedules and ticket prices.

On arrival at the airport, you can take a taxi to the city for about CNY100. Alternatively, you can take an airport shuttle bus that leaves from the airport every 45 minutes to one hour. Price is approximately CNY 15 for an ordinary bus and CNY20 for an air-conditioned one. No.83 city bus stops at the airport and returns to the city for only CNY1.

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