April in the World, Self-Driving to Luoyang; Enjoying Spring Scenery, Stepping into the Splendor of the Tang Dynasty

In the April of the world, relive the dream of the Tang Dynasty! On a leisurely weekend with warm sunshine, the peonies in Luoyang, 300 kilometers away, were in full bloom. So I decided to go on a spur-of-the-moment road trip to the Divine Capital. When I set foot in Luoyang and wandered through the ancient streets and alleys, scenes of the Tang Dynasty came to life before my eyes… Enjoying the songs and dances of a prosperous era, witnessing the scenery of the Divine Capital. A two-day-one-night weekend trip felt like traveling back two thousand years to the glorious Tang Dynasty~

Itinerary: Day 1: Luoyang Museum → National Peony Garden → Nine-Colored Pond → Hall of Brilliance & Heaven → Yingtian Gate. Day 2: Guiyan Chinese Aesthetics Life Museum → Folk Customs Museum → Return.

Whenever I travel to a city, the first place I visit is always the museum. Though the artifacts remain silent, a single glance spans a thousand years. The Luoyang Museum has a rich collection, no less impressive than the provincial museum. The two-floor exhibition hall features seven themes: "Heluo Civilization Exhibition, Tang Tri-color Glazed Pottery Exhibition, Luoyang Cultural Treasures Exhibition, Palace Artifacts Hall, Han-Tang Terracotta Figures Hall, Calligraphy and Painting Hall, and Stone Carvings Exhibition." Each artifact reflects the glory and brilliance of the Divine Capital during the Tang Dynasty a thousand years ago.

The museum's most treasured items are displayed on the second-floor Treasure Hall, including the clay Buddha face from the Northern Wei Yongning Temple, the white jade cup from the Cao Wei period, and the Tang tri-color glazed lamp... Each piece is exquisitely crafted, quietly narrating the artistic aesthetics and wisdom of the ancients of that era.

Visitors with limited time can head straight to the Treasure Hall on the second floor, where two-thirds of the museum's treasures are gathered.

The Luoyang Museum has a large number of visitors, so be sure to make a reservation via their official account in advance!

As the saying goes, "Among all the flowers in the world, only the peony is truly the national beauty." How could you come to Luoyang and not see the peonies? Peonies have a short blooming period, usually from April to May. I recommend the China National Peony Garden as your first choice—not only is it vast, but it also features over 80 varieties in different colors. After visiting the museum, it's just a 10-minute walk to the Peony Garden. Red, yellow, white, pink... all in full bloom, competing in beauty! The saying "falling into a sea of flowers" is fully realized here. The Peony Garden is huge, so I suggest you apply sunscreen in advance.

After visiting the Peony Garden at around 2 PM, it was time to check into the hotel. This time I booked the Dahehui·Huamao Chunsong Hotel, right next to the Longmen High-Speed Rail Station. It's convenient and only a 15-minute drive from the Folk Customs Museum we planned to visit tomorrow. The hotel has a Sui-Tang culture theme, showcasing Eastern aesthetics everywhere. The overall color scheme is mainly turquoise and orpiment, elegant and grand without losing luxury. The names of each functional area are also extremely poetic: Light Cloud, Startled Swan, Archery, Astrology… On the first floor, there's a tea room, fresh and elegant, for guests to enjoy tea and rest. I stayed in the Tianliang King Room, which had all the amenities: bathtub, minibar, air purifier… very thoughtful. The double sink design was also great, avoiding the awkwardness of fighting over the sink with a friend. Besides the usual toiletries, they even provided nail clippers—something I've needed most during travels but most hotels don't offer.

After settling my luggage around 2:50 PM, since I had booked the 3:00 PM show "In Search of Luoyang Fu", I hurried to the Dahehui Xunji Theater. Surprisingly, it was very close—just a two or three-minute walk. "In Search of the Luo River Goddess" is China's first digital light and shadow performance based on the Heluo historical culture. The entire show is immersive, based on Heluo culture, with walking, watching, and interacting. In the first act, I learned about the ultimate beauty of Luoyang's Eight Scenes, and the graceful figure of the Luo River Goddess was breathtaking. The second act told the story of the Longmen Grottoes and the cave carvers, moving me to tears.

After the performance, we watched the "Heluo Lantern Lighting" ceremony at the 7:00 PM sunken plaza. Twenty-four fairy maidens of the solar terms held "flower guiding staffs," displaying the Chinese star constellation map. It was incredibly beautiful and awe-inspiring, reminding me of the wisdom of the ancients.

After enjoying the performance, it was time to find food. Tonight's highlight was a night tour of Luoyang! At the mention of the Tang Dynasty, many people's hearts race. Though the dreamlike Tang Dynasty has been buried by time, the remaining buildings still tell of its glory and splendor. Tonight's night tour plan was to visit Nine-Colored Pond, Hall of Brilliance & Heaven, and Yingtian Gate—to attend a dream of the Tang Dynasty! These three structures were rebuilt and restored on their original sites, collectively called "Sui-Tang Luoyang City"!

Nine-Colored Pond was an important royal pool garden within the Forbidden City of Sui-Tang Luoyang Palace City. It gathered the essence of Tang and Song garden architecture and is an outstanding example of ancient Chinese imperial gardens. Built in the Sui Dynasty, it benefited from the water diversion project of the Han-Wei period, forming a small water area. Expanded in the Tang Dynasty, it became a north-south rounded square pond, serving as a political stage. Nine-Colored Pond witnessed exchanges between the Tang Empire and the Western Regions. During the Tianbao era of Emperor Xuanzong, the Dayuan region of the Western Regions paid tribute with six Ferghana horses. Li Longji ordered court painters to depict them on the Yaoguang Hall of Nine-Colored Pond. The current Nine-Colored Pond, under the illumination of lights, not only has a night view full of stories but also offers a distant view of Hall of Brilliance & Heaven.

The Hall of Brilliance & Heaven was built by Wu Zetian in the spring of 688 AD. It was where she lived and governed, and also the core of the "palace city" area within the Sui-Tang Luoyang city ruins. The Hall of Brilliance has three visible floors and two interior floors, each layer tapering, with an octagonal pyramidal roof at the top. The protected structure of the Heaven Hall is 88.88 meters high, located northwest of the Hall of Brilliance. It is a towering, sky-piercing tower, serving as the inner Buddhist hall of Wu Zetian's Forbidden City. It has five visible floors and nine interior floors, symbolizing the supreme status of the ancient emperor! At these three sites, many young ladies were taking photos in Hanfu. If you princesses come to play, don't miss it!

After a full day of playing, I was exhausted, but I couldn't give up my nightly reading habit. When I returned to the hotel, I saw the books placed in the lobby, which perfectly satisfied my late-night reading needs.

When traveling, I always believe in playing well and resting even better. Relaxing both body and mind, sleeping deeply—weekends should be like this. I slept until 8 AM naturally, feeling very satisfied~ The restaurant was on the first floor. Besides the usual pastries, salad, and vegetables, they also had Luoyang specialties like beef soup and spicy soup. Energy for the whole day starts with breakfast. The hotel is adjacent to Dahehui, which has many places to explore: bookstores, supermarkets, and food streets. After breakfast, I couldn't wait to set off. I strolled to the "Guiyan Chinese Aesthetics Life Museum." Just the name was poetic~ As I pushed the door open, it was a different world—it turned out to be a bookstore. A huge bamboo slip in the hall formed a circle. At that moment, a young lady in Hanfu was taking photos. It was so surreal that I felt I had traveled back a thousand years! Going further in, a wall of stacked books created a stunning visual impact. The mirrored floor created an infinite space effect.

At around 10:30, I planned to go to the hotel's second floor gym. On the way, I wandered through other public areas. Truly, every corner contained Chinese art.

The last stop of this Luoyang trip was the Folk Customs Museum. This very niche museum combines romance and history with a touch of everyday life. Each hall displays different themes, such as wedding customs, festivals, and many lifelike statues vividly showing scenes from ancient Chinese life. Many young ladies were also taking photos in Warring States robes here. Indeed, there were far fewer people than during last night's night tour. If you princesses come to Luoyang and want to avoid the crowds, the Folk Customs Museum is a great choice!

The intense 2-day-1-night self-driving trip to Luoyang came to an end. Besides being amazed by the culture and scenery, I also felt a bit of regret—I didn't go to the Longmen Grottoes. That gives me a reason to visit Luoyang again next time.