Henan Travel: Wandering in Luoyang, Savoring the Depth and Rebirth of the Ancient Capital of Thirteen Dynasties
"If you want to know the rise and fall of dynasties, just look at Luoyang." As the capital of thirteen dynasties, Luoyang has always been a tourist destination in the hearts of travelers. Here you will not only find the Longmen Grottoes, the largest stone carving art treasure trove with the most statues in the world, but also the White Horse Temple, the first officially built temple after Buddhism was introduced to China. These well-known attractions all showcase Luoyang's profound historical heritage. This summer, I visited Luoyang again to savor the depth and rebirth of this ancient capital of thirteen dynasties.
Upon arriving in Luoyang, the first stop was the Longmen Grottoes. How much does Luoyang value it? They specially established the "Luoyang Longmen" high-speed rail station. From many cities across the country, you can reach Luoyang within a few hours. After getting off the high-speed train, it's just a few kilometers by car to this unparalleled world heritage site. It's much more convenient than before. Moreover, next to the high-speed rail station is the comprehensive commercial complex Dahe Hui, offering one-stop services for food, drink, accommodation, and entertainment.
The Longmen Grottoes have two main gates: the northwest and northeast. Except for self-driving tourists who find the northeast gate convenient for parking, both public transport and taxis are more convenient via the northwest gate. Upon arrival at the scenic area entrance, you can walk to the grottoes, about 2 km away. Tourists who find the distance too far can take a shuttle bus for 10 yuan, which is faster and more convenient.
Although this is not my first time at the Longmen Grottoes, every visit leaves me awestruck by their scale: the grottoes stretching along the riverbank cliffs are a collective masterpiece built over more than 1,400 years across more than ten dynasties, from the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei to the Tang and Song dynasties, finally ending in the late Qing. You can see the evolution of grotto statues from different periods in one go. This is one of the longest-constructed grottoes in the world.
The long construction period is only one feature of the Longmen Grottoes. More importantly, it is a unique royal grotto in the world, with most statues commissioned by royal nobles. For example, the Vairocana Buddha, modeled after Empress Wu Zetian; the Guyang Cave, excavated by Emperor Xiaowen for Empress Dowager Feng; and the Binyang South Cave, excavated by Li Tai for Empress Zhangsun. Historical figures seem condensed on this cliff face. Although weathered, 2,345 niches and more than 110,000 statues remain today, a breathtaking sight.
Due to the hot weather, after visiting the Longmen Grottoes, we returned to the hotel to rest. This time we stayed at the Huamao Chunsong Hotel opposite the high-speed rail station. The hotel is located in Dahe Hui, as mentioned earlier, with complete facilities and a subway station nearby, making transportation very convenient.
As a theme designer hotel themed on Sui and Tang culture, Huamao Chunsong is part of Luoyang's immersive travel experience. Looking up, you see the He Tu (Yellow River Chart) woven with brilliant lights; looking down, the Luo Shu (Luo River Writing) reflected by the lights. It seems to incorporate all elements of Luoyang, outlining the Eastern aesthetics of the prosperous Sui and Tang dynasties.
Moreover, the hotel service is excellent. Upon check-in during the day, welcome fruit and cookies are provided. During the evening turndown service, warm milk and aromatherapy oil are offered. Each room has a bathtub, very comfortable for soaking after a day of travel, ensuring a good night's sleep. Amenities like a gym and tea room are available, and the minibar is free!
After a short rest, we went to Dahe Hui to watch the large immersive performance "Tracing the Ode to the Luo River Goddess." But before entering the performance venue, don't miss the sculptures in the station square. These art installations have significant backgrounds. For example, the art installation in front of the venue is one of Gao Xiaowu's "Rebirth" series, themed on the "Wen Fish" from the Ode of the Luo River Goddess, combining the fantasy creature from Luoyang's cultural stories with the "Rebirth" series concept. There are dozens of similar art installations in Dahe Hui, resembling an art exhibition—truly an artistic feast.
Besides the art installations, Dahe Hui also houses the Guiyan Chinese Aesthetics Museum: a recently popular internet-famous library in Luoyang, perfect for photo-taking and check-ins.
The entire performance "Tracing the Ode to the Luo River Goddess" is divided into two major parts. The first part is an interactive session. After entering the venue, you are immersed in a magical space of changing light and shadow, surrounded by staff dressed in ancient costumes, as if traveling through time. You can also project your own paintings onto the screen.
Then comes the immersive performance itself. The audience is not fixed in seats but moves with the staff: the legend of the Luo River Goddess, the excavation of the grottoes, and the literati born or lived in Luoyang over the millennia appear one after another. You can personally experience the shock of instantly traveling through 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Besides interacting with NPCs during the performance, you can also pick up peony seeds falling from the sky. But there are too few seeds—it's all about hand speed; if you don't grab, you get none.
After the performance, it was time to find a place for a late-night snack. We took a taxi directly to Shizi (Cross) Street, a famous food street near the Luoyi Ancient City. Although the ancient city's lights were off, Shizi Street was still bustling with the lively atmosphere of daily life.
Speaking of Luoyang's Shizi Street, it has been a gathering place for merchants since ancient times and is now a nationally famous snack street. Reportedly, when the People's Daily selected the top ten food streets in China, the Luoyang Old Town Shizi Street night market was on the list. Here you can taste not only snacks from all over the country but also many Luoyang specialties. It stays open late, making it an excellent place for a late-night meal.
The next day, we set out to another national key cultural relic protection unit in Luoyang: the White Horse Temple, known as the "cradle of Chinese Buddhism." At the temple entrance, you see a memorial archway inscribed with "China's First Ancient Temple." This is no exaggeration. It was first built in the 11th year of Yongping of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 68) and is the first officially built temple after Buddhism was introduced to China. It can be called the "source of Buddhism" and "ancestral court" for China, Vietnam, North Korea, Japan, and even European and American countries.
The White Horse Temple is mainly divided into the ancient architecture area, the Qiyun Pagoda courtyard, and the international Buddhist garden area. The ancient architecture area faces south. The main buildings are arranged along the central axis, from south to north: the mountain gate, Heavenly King Hall, Great Buddha Hall, Mahavira Hall, Reception Hall, and Qingliang Terrace. On both sides are auxiliary buildings such as the bell and drum towers, the gate hall, the cloud water hall, the guest hall, the dining hall, the ancestral hall, the meditation hall, and the abbot's courtyard.
The international Buddhist garden area is mainly divided into Thai, Myanmar, and Indian sections. As mentioned earlier, the White Horse Temple is the "source of Buddhism" and "ancestral court" for China, Vietnam, North Korea, Japan, and European and American countries, making it a sacred place for Buddhist believers worldwide. Since the end of the 20th century, Japan has donated funds to rebuild the White Horse Temple bell tower and erected a statue of Kukai. The governments of Thailand, India, and Myanmar have successively funded the construction of Buddhist halls at the White Horse Temple, making it the only international temple in the world with Chinese, Indian, Myanmar, and Thai styles, full of exotic charm and reflecting the White Horse Temple's extraordinary international status in Buddhism.
Of course, in just two days, we saw only the tip of the iceberg of Luoyang. The profound history of the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties requires repeated savoring, each visit bringing new discoveries. Looking forward to our next meeting.
Text and photos by Travel Maniac Xia Xia Xia, original, unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
About the author: Has visited over 500 cities worldwide, studied at the University of Oxford in the UK and Waseda University in Japan, and volunteered internationally in Sri Lanka. Feel free to follow for sharing food, drink, and fun from around the world. If you like, remember to like, comment, or share!
