# Luoyang travel guide (洛阳) Henan Province · Central China, China · 12 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/henan/luoyang ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** White Horse Temple → Luoyang Zhou Royal City Museum of the Emperor's Six-Horse Chariot → Sui-Tang Luoyang City National Heritage Park → Lijing Gate → Luoyang Old Street - **Day 2:** Luoyang Museum → Guanlin Temple → Longmen Grottoes → Bai Garden - **Day 3:** Luanchuan (Baiyun Mountain, Laojun Mountain and more, arranged according to time and interests) ## The feel of the place - **Peony:** A single decision by China's one and only female emperor secured peonies' association with Luoyang. In 2011, the 29th Henan Luoyang Peony Fair was upgraded to the China Luoyang Peony Culture Festival. During the festival, thousands upon thousands of visitors flock to Luoyang, and it is hard to tell whether the peonies adorn Luoyang or Luoyang has lent the peonies its legend. - **Tang Sancai:** A product of Luoyang's golden age under the Tang Dynasty, Tang sancai (three-colour glazed pottery) remains a symbol of Luoyang to this day. On arriving in Luoyang, the eye is immediately drawn to these vivid objects. Horses in three-colour glaze parade along the streets in long, unbroken rows. The horses and camels on the roadside stalls seem to have walked out of antiquity. Whether in the weighty past or the rather ordinary present, Tang sancai runs through it all, declaring permanence in the most straightforward way. - **Ancient Capital of Thirteen Dynasties:** Perhaps because its past as an ancient capital of nine dynasties was too heavy and too glorious, Luoyang seems rather reluctant to embrace modernity. The word 'fashionable' simply does not apply to this city. Its buildings and shops lag well behind many newer cities, and its former splendour and beauty survive only in the occasional glimpse of upturned eaves and green tiles. The people of Luoyang, however, take things in their stride. They take pride in the Longmen Grottoes, grow peonies, and get on with life at an unhurried pace. ## The feel of the place ### Preparation and Advice ### Language The Luoyang dialect is fairly close to Mandarin, so you will have no trouble with language when travelling locally. ### Climate and Travel Seasons Luoyang has dry springs, hot and rainy summers, mild autumns and cold winters, with an annual average temperature of 14.2℃. ## Getting there & around Luoyang has convenient transport. It was one of the starting points of the ancient Silk Road and remains an important transport hub in China today. ### Getting In and Out ### By Air Luoyang Beijiao Airport (洛阳北郊机场) lies on Mang Mountain, 13 km northwest of the city centre. It has complete facilities and excellent airspace conditions, and can accommodate all types of aircraft around the clock. Domestic routes currently connect Luoyang with Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming and other cities. ### By Rail Luoyang is a major station on the Longhai Line, where the Longhai and Jiaozhi railways intersect. There are direct trains to Jinan East, Shanghai and Xi'an, and many trains bound for the northwest and southwest also stop here. ### High-Speed Rail Luoyang Longmen Station is Luoyang's high-speed rail station. The journey from Luoyang to Xi'an currently takes about 1.5 hours, and to Zhengzhou only around 40 minutes. The station is located in Longmen Town, and Bus 71 will take you to the Longmen Grottoes. ### By Road National Highways 310 and 207 intersect in Luoyang. Road construction in Luoyang has developed rapidly in recent years. The Kailuo Expressway (Luoyang → Zhengzhou → Kaifeng) is now open to traffic, and an expressway from Luoyang → Sanmenxia → Tongguan has also opened. ### Getting Around the City In recent years, a number of important urban transport facilities have been built or rebuilt, including Jiudu Road, Daobei Road, the Dingding Road interchange and Peony Bridge, and the city's rapid transit network is taking shape. A wide range of local transport and long-distance coaches meet the needs of visiting tourists. Luoyang Metro Lines 1 and 2 are now in operation. - **Civil Aviation Ticket Office** — - **Railway Station Information Desk** — - **Luoyang Bus Station Information Desk** — (Diagonally opposite the railway station, 0379-63239453) - **Luoyang Longmen Station** — ## Eat & drink Luoyang's cold dishes use plenty of vinegar but no soy sauce. They have a very light colour and a fresh taste, essentially the natural flavour of the ingredients with a touch of sourness. Ingredients such as green pepper are cut into very fine shreds and mixed into the dish, serving more to add colour than to season. ### Dialect Luoyang people say 甜 (tian, 'sweet') where others would say 淡 (dan, 'bland'). If a dish needs a little salt, they don't say 'add' (加) but 'lengthen' (长). ### Long-Life Fish A dish with medicinal value. It is savoury, combining sweet, salty and sour flavours, and has a history of more than 1,900 years. Legend has it that Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty (Liu Xiu) went hunting one spring, passed Mang Mountain and arrived at the banks of the Yellow River. Revisiting the old haunts, he felt refreshed and clear-headed. Suddenly a red carp leapt out of the water, shining golden in the sunlight. Delighted, Liu Xiu ordered it caught and brought back to the palace, where the imperial chef came up with a clever idea: he braised it with goji berries and named it 'Long-Life Fish'. After eating it, Liu Xiu immediately felt much more energetic, his fatigue vanished, and with regular consumption his health improved. The dish later spread among the common people and became a famous Luoyang dish. ### Specialty Dining ### Recommended Restaurants - **Luoyang Water Banquet** — The most distinctive style of Luoyang cuisine. Because the main courses are mostly soups, and dishes are served one after another like flowing water, it is called the 'water banquet' (shuixi). It is a traditional delicacy unique to Luoyang. The flavours are sweet, salty, sour and spicy, each dish has its own taste, the portions are generous and served on large bowls and plates, and both meat and vegetarian dishes are included. The banquet once entered the imperial palace before returning to the people, developing a distinctive regional style. In Luoyang it is the first choice for weddings, funerals and banquets for guests. - **Peony Yancai (Peony Radish Threads)** — White radish cut into fine threads and seasoned with a variety of condiments. Legend has it that the name 'yancai' was chosen by Wu Zetian. It is an indispensable famous dish in Luoyang water banquets, past and present. - **Luoyang Breakfast** — Besides traditional breakfast items such as soy milk and youtiao (fried dough sticks), the most distinctive Luoyang breakfast is 'paomo', bread soaked in broth. Unlike Xi'an's lamb paomo, Luoyang's paomo is served in large bowls and eaten until you are full. It may not look elegant, but it is utterly delicious. Among the soups, donkey meat soup, beef soup and tofu soup are especially fine, and are rarely found elsewhere. - **Zhenbutong Restaurant** — The most famous place to eat Luoyang water banquet. From cold dishes to hot dishes to staples, almost everything is 'soupy'. Some people love it, others are not used to it, but the peony yancai is a must-try. The prices are not especially cheap, but it certainly lives up to its reputation as a China Time-Honoured Brand (中华老字号). (393 Zhongzhou East Road, Old Town District, Luoyang City, 0379-63995080/63952609) ## Nightlife Luoyang's night markets are mostly lively with food stalls, many of them displaying signs reading 'Water banquet dishes made to order', with tables piled high with stir-fries. The other part of the night market sells everything: books, clothes and small trinkets. However, neither the styles nor the quality are likely to be very good. Near the old market in the urban area are several opera teahouses, where you can sip tea and listen to Henan opera at affordable prices. ## Shopping ### Recommended Specialties - **Antique-Style Tang Sancai** — Named for its shape and production technique, which closely resemble Tang-dynasty sancai (three-colour glazed pottery), this craft has been produced in Luoyang for over a century. It falls into four categories: figures, animals, vessels and architectural decoration. Among the animal pieces, the Tang horse and Tang camel are the most popular. The best-known brand is 'Jiudu', made by the Fine Arts Ceramics Factory, and the finest pieces are sold by the Luoyang Fine Arts Ceramics Industrial Company, located in Qilihe. - **Bronze Replicas** — Replicas of ancient bronzeware. Luoyang was once the earliest centre of bronze casting in China. The reproductions of varieties such as 'Horse Trampling a Flying Swallow' and 'Rhinoceros', inherited and developed locally in recent years, are now almost indistinguishable from the originals. - **Luoyang Palace Lanterns** — A traditional craft originating in the Eastern Han dynasty, with a wide variety of styles and a strong local character. Common types include the white-capped square lantern, red gauze lantern, hexagonal dragon-head lantern, revolving 'horse lantern', Luohan lantern and 'Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl' lantern. The red gauze lantern is the most famous. - **Chengni Inkstone** — One of the Four Great Inkstones, it has a surface as lustrous as fine jade. It holds ink without loss, the ink residue does not spoil, it neither freezes in winter nor dries out in summer, and it is immune to insects when used for calligraphy and painting. - **Plum Blossom Jade** — Also known as Ru jade, it comes exclusively from Ruyang County in Luoyang and is distinguished by its natural five-coloured plum-blossom patterns. Luoyang produces Plum Blossom Jade items including tea sets, wine sets and traditional crafts. ## Where to stay Finding a place to stay in Luoyang is no problem. The city has many star-rated hotels, as well as guesthouses suited to independent travellers, meeting the needs of visitors across a range of budgets. - **Luoyin Hotel** — A hotel with a strongly artistic atmosphere. Rooms are clean and spacious, and guests can watch films for free at the cinema next door. ## Things to see - **National Peony Garden** (★★★★): Admission ¥40; Opening hours 08:00-18:00 (open to the public only during the peony blooming period in April each year; not open to ordinary visitors at other times); Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/national-peony-garden - **White Horse Temple** (★★★★★): Admission ¥35; Opening hours 7:40–18:40 (8 March–7 October); 8:00–17:30 (8 October–7 March of the following year); Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/white-horse-temple - **Longmen Grottoes** (★★★★★): Admission Longmen Grottoes, Bai Garden and Xiangshan Temple share a single ticket covering all three sites, priced at ¥90; Opening hours November–February of the following year 08:00-18:00; March–October 08:00-21:00; Time needed 3–5 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/longmen-grottoes - **Sui-Tang Luoyang City National Heritage Park** (★★★): Admission ¥120; Opening hours 9：00—22：00; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/sui-tang-luoyang-city-national-heritage-park - **Guanlin Temple** (★★★★): Admission ¥40; Opening hours 8：30—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/guanlin-temple - **Luoyi Ancient Town** (★★★★): Admission Free (ID card required); Opening hours 09:00-22:30; Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/luoyi-ancient-town - **Longtan Grand Canyon** (★★★★): Admission ¥80; Opening hours 7:00–17:30 (summer time); 9:00–17:00 (winter time); Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/longtan-grand-canyon - **Daozhan Village** (★★★★): Admission ¥30; ¥50 per person; ¥89.9 for two people; ¥100; Opening hours 9：00—18：00; Time needed 0.5–1 day; 2–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/daozhan-village ## Day trips & beyond - **Wangwu Mountain Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission ¥50; Opening hours 8：00—18：00; Time needed 5–6 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/wangwu-mountain-scenic-area - **Hangu Pass Site** (★★★): Admission ¥75; Opening hours 09:00-17:00; Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/hangu-pass-site - **Taihang Grand Canyon** (★★★★): Admission ¥140 (includes sightseeing shuttle); Opening hours 08:00-17:30; Time needed 1–2 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/taihang-grand-canyon - **Sanmenxia** (★★★): Admission Counter price (reservation required); Opening hours October–March of the following year 08:30-17:30; April–September 08:30-18:30; Time needed 3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/sanmenxia --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 2085–2106. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.