Luoyang Attractions

Luoyang, the origin of the Silk Road, was an ancient capital for 13 dynasties where 105 emperors were giving command from here. Incredibly, Luoyang is recognized as the middle part of the world which blends the boundlessness of Central Plain and the unaffectedness of the Southern China, hence becomes the Land of God that people yearn for. Here, tourists can hear the beautiful Chinese ancient legends about Emperor Fuxi, Goddess of Sky-patching, Yellow Emperor, and Emperor Yao.

No matter you plan a holiday for historical sites or natural sceneries, entertainment or cultural sites, family tour or independent travel, Luoyang will never disappoint you and only the well-known Longmen Grottoes and blooming peonies will make your trip in Luoyang meaningful. Following us, you will find the deep side of Luoyang.

Top Attractions to See in Luoyang

No.1 Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes, one of the three treasure houses of Buddhism art in China, is the symbol of Luoyang. Listed as a World Cultural Heritage site, Longmen Grottoes is magnificent enough to amaze the world with many grandiose caves. Originally built during Northern Wei Dynasty, it had been massively constructed in succession for over 400 years. Thousand years of erosion can not warp out the exquisite carvings of each Buddha statue in the grottoes. On the 1 kilometer long precipice, you can see over 97,000 Buddha statues with the largest one of 17.14 meters tall and the smallest one of only 2cm.

No.2 White Horse Temple

Known as the first ancient Buddhism temple built in China since the introduction of Buddhism in Eastern Han Dynasty (25AD-220AD), White Horse Temple deserves to be the cradle of Chinese Buddhism and the No.1 ancient temple in China. A large number of precious Buddhism statues and scriptures are collected in the temple. As the name implies, in front of the temple gate stands two life-like stone horses, recurring the scene that batches of Buddhism sutras were transported to the temple via horses. After walking through three arch gates which symbolize the trebling liberations, tourists can visit the main architectures of the temple, such as the Heavenly Kings Hall and Great Buddha Hall.

No.3 Guanlin Temple

If you are a fan of Guanyu, a general of Shu State in the Three Kingdom Period, Guanlin Temple is worthwhile your visiting since it is the site where has buried the head of Guanyu. For thousands of years, people worship Guanyu in the temple for admiring his loyalty, righteousness, benevolence and bravery. Currently, the temple appears splendid with a lot of old buildings, including more than 150 houses of Ming and Qing dynasties, over 70 ancient inscriptions, four stone memorial archways, 110 stone lions and 800 old cypresses.

Cultural Sites

Known as the cradle of Chinese civilization, Luoyang represents the most natural China. Apart from the above three outstanding attractions, there are a large number of museums where you can experience the profound culture of Luoyang. Among them, the Luoyang Museum is the most visited one. A tremendous number of collections are housed in the museum, including the pottery of Yangshao and Longshao culture periods, jade wares of Xia and Shang dynasties, bronze wares of Zhou Dynasty, colored drawings of Han and Wei dynasties.

Natural Scenery

For those who are fond of natural sceneries, April is the best month to Luoyang for the blossoming peonies in the Peony Garden which attracts many flower lovers. Meanwhile, the White Cloud Mountain is a good place to experience the layer upon layer of cliffs and the well fusion of hills, rivers, caves, rocks and animals. You can ascend on the highest peak of the Central Plain for the view of sunrise and sea of clouds.

Famous Nearby Attractions

Shaolin Temple: one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China, is the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu. Thousands of tourists come to Shaolin Temple in the name of enjoying the incredible Kung Fu show. Besides, the magnificent Pagoda Forest in the temple has been another highlight which has been the extant largest forest of pagodas in China. It is about 50km and 1 hour drive from Luoyang.

Yellow River Scenic Area: the most famous attraction in Zhengzhou, boasts beautiful natural landscape with green trees, pavilions, winding rivers and pretty hills. Come to Yellow River Scenic Area to explore the real spirit of the mother river of China. It is about 132 km and takes 1 hour and 53 minutes from Luoyang.

Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden: is a large-scale theme park modeled after the painting ‘Qingming Riverside Landscape’ by Zhang Zeduan, a famous painter in Northern Song Dynasty. It exhibits the largest ancient complex of the Song Dynasty in the Central China., including gate tower, ancient streets, shops, rivers, wharfs, teahouses, pawnshops and wine shops, presenting the true portraiture of the social customs of the ancient China.

Recommended Luoyang Tours:
1 Day Luoyang Tour
3 Days Shaolin Kung Fu & Ancient Buddhist Art Adventure
4 Days Shaolin Kung Fu & Longmen & Kaifeng Tour
More Luoyang Tours