An Imperfect Journey to Luoyang, the Divine Capital at the Start of 2022

📍 Luoyang · 👁 2 reads · ❤️ 71 likes

Since I showed my elderly father the photos I took at 🐴 White Horse Temple 🐴, he's been eager to revisit Luoyang, the Divine Capital of the Tang Dynasty. I told him, now the White Horse Temple is nothing like what it was when he took me there years ago—it's now the world's only international temple featuring Chinese, Indian, Burmese, and Thai architectural styles. The Longmen Grottoes are also different, with a 🌌 night tour 🌌 that's become quite trendy. When I was in middle school, my father took me to the White Horse Temple and the Longmen Grottoes. Now, it's my turn to take him.

He had wanted to go during the Double Ninth Festival in 2020, but work delayed me by a day, leaving us only two days—not enough time. Then came the National Day holiday, and again work held me up for three days. By the fourth day, I was finally free, but the weather turned terrible, with days of continuous rain, so we couldn't go. Recently, with the hit online drama *Luoyang* starring the handsome Luo Yang native Wang Yibo, our urge to visit Baili Hongyi's old stomping grounds grew even stronger.

Baili Hongyi with a Flower in His Hair

Who wouldn't be charmed by such a dashing and elegant gentleman?

The New Year's holiday finally arrived after days of longing. My father (since watching *Luoyang*, I've started calling him 'Aye,' a term from the drama—such a dedicated fan!) and I packed our bags eagerly and set off. Thus began our first trip of 2022—🏯 a journey to the Divine Capital 🏯.

Luoyang Old Cross Street – Sui-Tang Luoyang City Yingtianmen Site – Zhougong Temple – Hall of Heaven and Bright Hall – Jiuzhou Pool Royal Garden – Lijingmen – Luoyang Old Cross Street

Luoyang is only a two-hour drive from my hometown. We left at 9:30 and arrived just in time for lunch, so we headed to Old Cross Street to eat.

During the day, Old Cross Street wasn't too crowded. Locals told us it's livelier at night, so we decided to stay there overnight. We bought two snacks from a roadside stall across the street for lunch: Xiancai Ye's Juicy Golden Shredded Beef Pancake. It was delicious, but we were so focused on eating that we forgot to take photos.

After lunch, my father and I took a bus to the next destination: the Sui-Tang Luoyang City Yingtianmen Site.

Yingtianmen was the main south gate of the Sui-Tang Luoyang City's palace, built in the first year of the Daye era of the Sui Dynasty (605 AD). The site's grand scale fully showcases the majesty of our Divine Capital in the Tang Dynasty. Its 'two-tiered gate towers and triple gates' is the highest-ranking architectural form in ancient Chinese ritual, signifying the emperor's status and identity. It is the highest-level city gate site discovered in China.

This is the back entrance of the Yingtianmen Site Museum.

The main entrance of the Yingtianmen Site Museum.

🏯 Yingtianmen 🏯 served through the Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, and Northern Song—over 530 years—before being burned down by the Jin in 1140 AD. As the true national gate of its time, Yingtianmen functioned much like today's Tiananmen. Major ceremonies and diplomatic events were often held here. This gate witnessed Emperor Yang of Sui entering the eastern capital, Emperor Gaozong of Tang receiving the King of Baekje, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang greeting the eighth Japanese mission to Tang, and other significant events. On September 9, 690 AD (the first year of Tianshou), Empress Wu, after completing her preparations, ascended this gate, deposed Emperor Ruizong, changed the dynasty's name to Zhou, and declared Luoyang the divine capital. Yingtianmen thus welcomed its true master—👘 Empress Wu Zetian 👘.

The magnificent mural 'Eternal Song of Yingtian' in the first-floor lobby of the Yingtianmen Site Museum fully displays the glory of the Tang Dynasty.

This scene depicts the daily life of Tang Dynasty laborers.

A section of the museum dedicated to Hanfu photo shoots for visitors.

The site exhibition hall on the first floor of the Yingtianmen Site Museum.

The Sui-Tang Luoyang City consisted of three walls: the outer city, the imperial city, and the palace city. Beyond the core imperial and palace cities were 109 wards. From the 7th to the 11th centuries, it was the political, economic, and cultural center of the nation, serving as the capital or secondary capital for the Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, and Northern Song—523 years in total—witnessing one of China's most glorious historical periods.

The grand exterior view from the second floor of the museum.

The 'two-tiered gate towers with triple gates' and 'five-phoenix tower' design, exemplified by Yingtianmen, became a key standard for ancient Chinese gate architecture, influencing it for over a millennium through the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Second-floor exhibition hall: 'Harmony of Heaven and Earth'—could this be the origin of the name Yingtianmen?

This hall displays the evolution of capital city gates in ancient China, alongside famous gates from around the world during the same periods.

Second-floor exhibition hall: 'The Gate Style of Heluo'.

Second-floor calligraphy and painting hall: 'National Style Calligraphy and Painting,' full of lasting charm.

After leaving the Yingtianmen Site Museum, I noticed a nearby historical site—the Zhougong Temple—and decided to visit.

The Luoyang Zhougong Temple Museum is a temple dedicated to Ji Dan, the Duke of Zhou. He was a renowned political, military, and philosophical figure of the Western Zhou, the founder of Luoyi (ancient Luoyang), and the father of Confucianism. He aided King Wu in overthrowing the Shang, served as regent for King Cheng, suppressed rebellions, built Luoyi, and established rites and music, making China a 'state of rites and music.' For his great achievements, he was later honored as the 'First Sage'—the 'Yuan Sheng'.

Looking out from inside the main gate of Zhougong Temple.

Luoyang Zhougong Temple faces south, with the Dingding Hall, Liyue Hall (Huizhong Shrine), third hall, and east-west corridors along the central axis, covering 664 square meters. It is one of the few remaining Ming and Qing architectural complexes in Luoyang and a national key cultural heritage site.

One of Luoyang's ten most beautiful ancient trees.

Zhougong Temple is small and we finished exploring it quickly.

From Zhougong Temple, we went to the Hall of Heaven and Bright Hall scenic area north of Yingtianmen. This was a key site where Empress Wu Zetian governed, practiced Buddhism, and lived. It was once the most prosperous core area of Tang Dynasty Luoyang, with two magnificent buildings exuding royal grandeur. The area is not large but is resplendent and beautiful.

After the Bright Hall, we leisurely visited the former royal garden—Jiuzhou Pool.

🏯 Jiuzhou Pool 🏯 was a major royal garden within the Sui-Tang Luoyang City's palace—the Ziwei City. It epitomized the essence of Tang and Song garden architecture and is an outstanding example of ancient Chinese imperial gardens. Built in the Sui Dynasty and used through Tang and Song, it was named for its resemblance to the Nine Provinces in the East Sea. The pool was over three meters deep with winding banks and several islands, where birds and fish frolicked and flowers flourished. The water radiated into the Ziwei City, creating a network of waterways dotted with pavilions and towers—a breathtaking sight.

From the second floor of Jiuzhou Pool, overlooking the distant Hall of Heaven.

My father and I were unlucky to visit in winter, when the plants were 🍂 withered 🍂. If we had come in spring, when peonies bloom, we would have seen a spectacular sea of flowers.

Jiuzhou Pool at dusk, so elegant and charming.

We left Jiuzhou Pool as 🌆 dusk fell 🌆, our next goal being a night tour of Lijingmen. On the way, we were fortunate to see the brilliantly lit Hall of Heaven and Yingtianmen.

Yingtianmen in twilight.

The Hall of Heaven at night.

Yingtianmen still grand at night.

By the time we reached Lijingmen, the night was deep with scattered lights.

Lijingmen at night—main gate

Lijingmen is the west gate of Luoyang's old city, echoing the Bell and Drum Tower on East Street. It is the most distinctive landmark of the old city.

Lijingmen—Li Xuewu Peony Ceramics Art Gallery

Lijingmen, the west gate of Jin and Ming Luoyang, was first built in the first year of the Xingding era of the Jin Dynasty (1217). It is a tower recreating the ancient capital's look. Lijingmen is the only large-scale historical and cultural scenic area in Luoyang that integrates dining, lodging, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment. A poet praised it: 'Luoyang peonies are the best under heaven, and Lijing Tower is unparalleled in the world.' Looking down from the tower, small gray brick and tile courtyard houses, bustling commercial streets, and taverns, teahouses, and bookshops with inviting signs create a sense of traveling through time.

On the city tower, there are also an Emperor's History Museum and an Ancient Weapons Exhibition.

These two huge root carvings are exquisitely beautiful and impeccably crafted.

The ancient weapons exhibition charges a fee; the replica weapons are displayed outdoors in the cold wind. If you want a guide, it costs extra and is quite expensive—I personally felt it wasn't worth it.

Can you guess what these weapons were used for?

After the weapons exhibition, we began a food tour. Lijingmen and Old Cross Street are connected, so we ate our way from Lijingmen to Old Cross Street. The night market there lived up to its reputation, with many delicious foods.

Our hotel was near Old Cross Street, in a nice environment, and after a full day of exploration, we went to bed early.

White Horse Temple – Guanlin Temple – Museum of the Six-Horse Chariot of the Zhou King – Luoyang Museum – Sui-Tang Grand Canal Museum – Night Tour of Luoyi Ancient City

The next day, we headed straight for White Horse Temple early in the morning. It was quite far from our accommodation, so we spent a lot of time on the road. The temple is in a somewhat remote area, and as we looked around, we didn't see much of interest.

We finally arrived at White Horse Temple, eager to buy tickets, but staff stopped us, asking for a 48-hour negative nucleic acid test result. Only then did we learn that a few COVID-19 cases had appeared in the nearby Xin'an County, tightening epidemic controls. We had no test result and no nearby testing facility—going back to Luoyang old city for a test would waste too much time. Reluctantly, we gave up on visiting the temple and moved on to our next destination.

We reluctantly took a photo at the temple gate before leaving.

I checked my phone map; there were some parks nearby, but in winter, the flowers and plants were withered and bleak, so we skipped them.

We planned to visit the Longmen Grottoes at night, so I called staff to confirm if a nucleic acid test was needed. The answer was disheartening: for daytime visits, tourists from within the province didn't need a test, but the night tour was canceled. We had already seen the grottoes during the day, and our main purpose this time was the night tour. Its cancellation was a huge disappointment. These two letdowns dampened our spirits, fitting the title of this article: 'An Imperfect Journey to the Divine Capital of Luoyang.'

In our disappointment, my father suggested we visit Guanlin Temple instead, since we couldn't see White Horse Temple or Longmen. So we set off. This time, I was wiser and called ahead to confirm we could enter. Guanlin Temple is far from White Horse Temple. On the way, we passed many attractions like the China National Garden, the Sui-Tang Luoyang City Botanical Garden, and Dingdingmen. But with withered flowers and trees in winter, I didn't take my father inside.

Guanlin Temple, located in Guanlin Town, Luoyang, is the burial site of Guan Yu's head from the Three Kingdoms period. The front part is a temple, the rear a tomb—it's the only building combining a tomb, temple, and forest in one.

In China, Guan Yu is the only figure revered by all three teachings: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. He was a general of Shu Han, known for his loyalty and bravery. According to legend, after his defeat at Maicheng, he was captured by Wu general Ma Zhong and beheaded. His head was sent to Cao Cao, who buried him with the rites of a prince—hence 'Guanlin.' His body was buried in Dangyang, known as 'Guanling.'

Initially, Guanlin Temple was also called Guan Emperor's Tomb. In ancient China, emperors' tombs were 'ling,' princes' tombs were 'zhong,' and sages' tombs were 'lin.' During the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, Guan Yu was posthumously honored as the Saint of War, and 'Guan Emperor's Tomb' was renamed 'Guanlin.'

This pagoda-like structure is an incense burner, now protected as a cultural relic. I've never seen such a huge incense burner before. The brick carvings on it are exquisite and marvelous.

Incense burners come in pairs—this is the other fine burner.

Exquisite murals in the main hall.

The burial site of Guan Yu's head.

Although it's still some time before the New Year, the place already felt full of festive atmosphere.

We left Guanlin Temple around noon. My father and I found a beef soup restaurant nearby for lunch. The soup was tasty, but again, we forgot to take photos.

Since the natural scenery wasn't great in winter, we decided to focus on cultural sights. I'd known that Luoyang has dozens of museums—a true 'city of museums.' I'd never visited Luoyang's museums before, so this time I didn't want to miss them. I checked my phone and found that the Museum of the Six-Horse Chariot was not far from Guanlin, so we went there together.

The Zhou King City Museum of the Six-Horse Chariot is located in Zhou King City Square in central Luoyang. It is a site museum built on the original site of a major archaeological discovery—a large chariot and horse burial pit from the Eastern Zhou, displayed in situ.

In 770 BC, King Ping of Zhou moved the capital east to Luoyi (present-day Luoyang), beginning the Eastern Zhou dynasty's 515-year history. From 770 BC to its fall to Qin in 256 BC, Luoyang witnessed the glory and decline of 25 Zhou kings.

From this main gate, one can see how majestic the Zhou king's outings were.

I had also seen the Shang king's chariot at the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, but the chariot pit here is larger—the Zhou king was far more imposing than the Shang royal house.

The museum is small, with only one floor, and we finished it quickly. Seeing we still had time, we decided to visit the Luoyang Museum.

🕋 Luoyang Museum 🕋's overall architecture resembles a huge tripod. In front stands an observation tower modeled after the 'Great Zhou Flagpole of All Nations.' It is a comprehensive museum integrating cultural relic collection, scientific research, exhibitions, social education, and cultural exchange.

Main entrance of Luoyang Museum

The Heluo Civilization Exhibition, on the first floor, is divided into three halls, showcasing the development of Heluo civilization from prehistoric times through the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Han, Wei, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, and Northern Song periods.

Luoyang Museum holds a large collection of precious artifacts excavated in the Luoyang area, from prehistoric times to the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially bronze ritual vessels from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, Han and Tang pottery figurines, sancai glazed pottery, and Song dynasty porcelain. The collection is vast, diverse, and regionally distinctive, occupying an important position in Chinese archaeology.

The Luoyang Treasure Hall, on the second floor, displays selected treasures from throughout the ages—each piece a gem, each a national treasure.

Luoyang, nestled between mountains and rivers, is a place of spiritual beauty and outstanding people. Historically, 13 dynasties established their capitals here over 1,500 years, leaving behind countless cultural relics. These precious artifacts carry rich historical memories and reflect the glory of the thousand-year-old capital.

Fierce tomb guardians in front of noble tombs.

These treasures were originally housed in the Cining Palace Buddhist Hall of the Forbidden City, mostly tribute items from various regions during the Qing Dynasty, centered on court Buddhist artifacts, including Buddha statues, shrines, ritual implements, and offering objects. Court life objects include furniture, decorative screens, calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain. Materials range from gold, silver, bronze, jade, gemstones, pearls, mother-of-pearl, glass, ivory, ceramics, and lacquerware. Themes include Buddhist figures, Taoist figures, myths, landscapes, flowers, birds, and other popular subjects. Particularly noteworthy are the Buddhist couplets and plaques inscribed by Emperor Kangxi and Empress Dowager Cixi, reflecting the state's highest honor for Buddhism. The Buddha statues, diverse in form, made of fine materials, and exquisitely crafted, represent the highest form of imperial devotion. Court furniture and decorations, often used by empresses and consorts, were made of rare woods like sandalwood, nanmu, huangyang, and Hainan huanghuali, with elaborate fittings—truly masterpieces of court Buddhist and daily objects.

I saw a bodhisattva dressed in clothes for the first time.

Luoyang Museum is filled with treasures, dazzling the eyes. We spent two whole hours there before leaving.

We left the museum around 4 p.m. I checked nearby attractions and found the Sui-Tang Grand Canal Museum, which was also close to our hotel—a convenient stop.

The Luoyang Sui-Tang Grand Canal Museum is located on the original site of the 🏯 Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall 🏯. The guild hall complex includes a glazed screen wall, east and west ceremonial gates, a main gate, east and west monks' quarters, a dance hall, east and west corridors, east and west official halls, a worship hall, a main hall, and east and west side halls—a well-structured and distinctive group of ancient buildings. Built in the early Qing Dynasty, it was a meeting place for merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces, constructed near the Luoyang ancient canal (now the Luo River) and close to the city's southern dock and the Luorui Yan Pass.

As is well known, Luoyang lies in the central plain, the center of the world, giving it a natural geographical advantage. The excavation of the Sui-Tang Grand Canal greatly boosted Luoyang's economy, making it one of the world's largest commercial centers. The Sui-Tang Luoyang City was built and prospered because of the canal, and the Grand Canal bears witness to Luoyang's historical vicissitudes and the transformation of Chinese civilization.

The museum's exhibition is divided into two halls, using multimedia, images, sand tables, and artifacts to comprehensively tell the story of Luoyang's relationship with the Grand Canal.

It's said that for palace architecture, one goes to Beijing; for folk architecture, one goes to Shanxi—and that's true. The Shanxi people's expertise in construction is evident in their 🏯 exquisite ancient buildings 🏯 and the ⛩ Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Halls ⛩ scattered across the country. Entering the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall, I was immediately captivated by the fine wood carvings on every building, especially on eaves, beams, brackets, sparrow braces, panels, and hanging pillars. The carvings depict people, animals, flowers, trees, pavilions, towers, and folk tales. Besides wood carvings, the stone carvings are also distinctive, particularly the vivid and intricate carvings on column bases.

Masterful brick carving techniques.

We left the Grand Canal Museum still wanting more. The architecture was truly exquisite and masterfully crafted. We had previously visited Shanxi's Jinci Temple, Pingyao Ancient City, Qiao Family Compound, and Yuci Old Town, all with stunning ancient buildings that left us in awe.

Directly opposite the museum is the Eighth Route Army Memorial Hall. By the time we walked over, it was too late to enter, so we decided to visit the next morning.

We planned to leave for home the next day. Worried that our return might be hindered by the COVID-19 cases in Xin'an County, we went to Luoyang People's Hospital for a nucleic acid test that night. On the way back to the hotel, we passed Luoyi Ancient City and decided to take a look.

I had been to Luoyi Ancient City before and knew how lively it could be at night. Now, due to epidemic control, the night tour had far fewer visitors, adding a sense of tranquility and elegance. The ancient city at night was like a classical maiden—serene and beautiful.

🌌 Countless lights 🌌 on the four banks, ✨ a single starry river ✨ in the water's center.

Luoyi Ancient City is small, and we wandered through it quickly. Our hotel was in Luoyang's old city. On the way back, we enjoyed the night scenery of the old town and tasted Luoyang's 'bufan soup' and potstickers—a truly pleasant experience.

Luoyang Old City Historical and Cultural District – Luoyang Folk Custom Museum – Luoyang Contract Documents Museum – Return Home

Although we had visited many places the day before, we still felt regret about the ones we missed. White Horse Temple was too far to revisit, but the Eighth Route Army Memorial Hall was nearby, so we got up early to try again. The old city of Luoyang in the morning had a sense of ancient simplicity, depth, and tranquility.

Walking on the cobblestone streets, the shops along the way were built in Ming and Qing styles or imitations, with red lanterns and dark red banners bearing shop names hanging at the entrances. The lanterns and banners, faded from exposure, gave a sense of historical vicissitude. Below the shops were red wooden doors, mostly four or two panels, with outward-opening lattice windows on the upper floors. The roofs were covered with glazed tiles adorned with animal figures. Looking along both sides from the Drum Tower, a scene of an ancient market street unfolded, creating a feeling of time travel.

The old city also contains many former residences of famous figures, such as Xu Peizhai, Ruan Ji, and Li Zhanbiao.

East Street, running from Cross Street intersection in the west to East Gate in the east, was the Xuanrenmen Outer Street of the Sui-Tang Luoyang City. During the Jin and Yuan periods, it became the main street of the eastern city. In the late Ming, the Bell and Drum Tower was moved to East Street, so it is also called Drum Tower Street or Gulou Street.

Exiting the south street of Luoyang old city, the Eighth Route Army Office was not far. Unfortunately, the epidemic controls there were strict: outsiders were not allowed, and even tourists from the same province with a nucleic acid test result were refused entry. Helplessly, my father and I had to give up again.

Yesterday, while searching for the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall, we also found another guild hall renowned for its exquisite ancient architecture, but we couldn't remember its name and couldn't find it on the map—a pity.

Just now, I checked again for places near the Eighth Route Army Office and found the Luoyang Folk Custom Museum. When my father and I approached it, we were pleasantly surprised—this was exactly the guild hall we had forgotten the name of: the Luze Guild Hall.

There are two existing ancient building complexes in Luoyang's old city. One is the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall, built during the Kangxi and Yongzheng eras of the Qing Dynasty, funded by wealthy merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi. The other is the Luze Guild Hall, built in the ninth year of the Qianlong era (1744). Its buildings are well-structured and orderly. The existing structures include a dance hall with east and west annexes, a bell and drum tower, a main hall with east and west annexes, a rear building with east and west side rooms.

The Luoyang Folk Custom Museum (Luze Guild Hall), located at the south end of Xin Street in Luoyang's old city, is commonly called the Eastern Guild Hall. Built in 1744, it was originally built by merchants from Lu'an and Zezhou prefectures in Shanxi (present-day Changzhi and Jincheng cities) as a meeting place for their business activities in Luoyang. It is a national second-class museum and the largest folk custom museum in Henan Province.

The Luze Guild Hall is an important platform for displaying western Henan folk customs. Its predecessor was the Guandi Temple. After centuries, the temple was well preserved, renamed Luze Guild Hall during the Republic of China period, and became the Luoyang Folk Custom Museum in 1988. Its basic exhibitions cover belief, marriage, longevity, folk art, and embroidery, divided into halls for folk crafts, marriage, longevity, and beliefs, with thousands of artifacts. Standing in the exhibition halls, one can deeply feel the people's production, lifestyles, economic development, political aspects, and characteristics of the times, offering valuable insights into Luoyang's commerce, transportation, ancient architecture, and Shanxi merchant culture.

This exquisite two-story villa-style birdcage was a rare sight for my father and me.

Everyday items reflecting the real lives of ordinary people.

Such an exquisitely beautiful bridal chamber with a handsome groom—what bride wouldn't long for it?

The Luoyang Contract Documents Museum is located east of the Luze Guild Hall.

The museum houses over 50,000 contract-type paper cultural relics, dating from the early Ming Dynasty (Hongwu era) through the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods, up to the early years of the People's Republic. The contents are rich and varied, including land and house contracts, indentures, property division documents, imperial exam papers, marriage certificates, funeral documents, adoption papers, brotherhood pacts, genealogies, medical prescriptions, lawsuit documents, advertisements, IOUs, receipts, invoices, account books, contracts, wills, letters, and more—covering political, economic, imperial examination, land policies, monetary systems, religious beliefs, social activities, and folk customs from the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods to the early PRC. These are important material sources for studying the social, political, economic, legal, and cultural history of those times.

Exquisitely made plaques.

The museum also houses a hall documenting the Japanese invasion of China, displaying precious evidence of war crimes.

After leaving the Contract Documents Museum, we took one last look at the beautifully built Luze Guild Hall before heading home, ending our three-day trip to Luoyang.

Although my father and I did not get to visit the White Horse Temple or take a night tour of Longmen, we still saw much that was wonderful and beautiful. Luoyang's many museums and exquisite ancient buildings left a deep and lasting impression on us. We agreed to revisit Luoyang when the peonies bloom, to fulfill our unfulfilled wishes and truly appreciate the spectacular scene: 'Only the peony is the true beauty in the country; when it blooms, it stirs the entire capital.'

Table of Contents

1. Preface

2. Following the Drama *Luoyang* All the Way to Luoyang

3. Day 1

4. 🏯 Sui-Tang Luoyang City Yingtianmen Site 🏯

5. Luoyang Zhougong Temple Museum

6. Sui-Tang Luoyang City Hall of Heaven and Bright Hall Site

7. Royal Garden – Jiuzhou Pool

8. The Bustling Life of the Divine Capital – Lijingmen

9. Day 2

10. Great Disappointment

11. Guanlin Temple