Interesting Peony Garden in Luoyang - Luoyang East Mountain Peony Garden

Luoyang, an ancient Chinese city with a civilization history of over 5,000 years, is a cultural holy land bearing Taoist and Buddhist philosophies. In about 20 days, it will again welcome its annual highlight moment — the 39th China Luoyang Peony Cultural Festival in 2021.

Speaking of peonies, everyone may know that they are renowned for their elegance, national beauty, and heavenly fragrance, as well as for their large, colorful, and magnificent blooms. A Tang Dynasty poem says, "Only the peony is true national beauty; when it blooms, it shakes the capital," and "Clouds want her dress, flowers want her face; spring breezes brush the railing, dew glistens thick," depicting the grand scene of peonies in full bloom and their beauty comparable to that of the imperial concubine.

When it comes to viewing peonies, undoubtedly the first place that comes to mind is Luoyang, Henan. Luoyang's peonies began in the Sui Dynasty, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and were "the finest under heaven" in the Song Dynasty. With a history of over 1,500 years, it has long been said that "Luoyang's soil is most suitable for flowers, and its peonies are especially extraordinary under heaven."

Today, I will introduce a great place to view peonies in Luoyang — the Longmen East Mountain Peony Garden, the setting for the story of Empress Wu's imperial tour.

Longmen East Mountain Thousand-Acre Alpine Peony Garden is located on the eastern side of the Longmen Grottoes, a national 5A-level tourist attraction. Covering over 1,800 mu (about 120 hectares), with a premium area of 400 mu, it is the largest alpine peony garden in Henan Province. It faces the Vairocana Buddha of the Longmen Grottoes from afar and is adjacent to the five-star Longmen East Mountain Hotel.

Compared to other peonies, alpine peonies have larger blooms, more varieties, and more vibrant colors. Longmen East Mountain Peony Garden is planted with over 1 million peonies from the Central Plains peony group, Northwest peony group, and Japanese peony group, including more than 200 old peonies with a century of tree age. There are eight major color series: red, white, pink, yellow, purple, green, black, and multi-colored, with over 100 varieties. Various distinctive "king of flowers" are scattered throughout, ensuring that your visit is rewarding and you leave fully satisfied.

The garden utilizes its unique mountainous terrain, planting in a stepped distribution along the slopes, following the undulations of the mountains, and combining with green plants to create a unique three-dimensional flower-viewing effect. You can experience a terraced, layered panoramic peony sea. During the blooming season, you can walk on East Mountain, facing the Vairocana Buddha from afar, contemplating its solemn and mysterious smile, while being surrounded by a vast expanse of peony flowers, feeling the charm of spring and nature. The Yi River meanders through, allowing you to experience the serene openness of true mountains and waters without fences.

Finally, let me mention transportation. The area around Longmen East Mountain Peony Garden is very convenient, 3 kilometers from the Longmen exit of the Erguang Expressway. It is directly accessible via East Mountain Avenue, and 800 meters in a straight line from the Longmen Grottoes scenic area. The East Mountain Path runs through the garden, and the main viewing areas are paved with rubber trails, comfortable and quiet.

"Visit Longmen, view peonies" has become one of Luoyang's tourist calling cards and a must-do route for visitors to Luoyang. In April, the city is full of blooming flowers, and we sincerely invite you to tour East Mountain and enjoy the peonies.