Located in the west of Henan Province in central China, Luoyang occupies quite an important geographic location. It is in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and is encircled by mountains and plains. To its east and west are the Hu Lao Pass and Han Gu Pass which were essential domestic transportation junctions in ancient times. To its north, Mengjin County was an important ferry crossing of the Yellow River. Thus, Luoyang was selected as the capital city by 13 dynasties starting from the Xia Dynasty (21st-16th century BC) in the 21st century BC. In the period following the Han Dynasty (206BC-220), and particularly during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, the city experienced a period of growth and prosperity and ranked as one of the international metropolitans of the time.
Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang
Its long history endows Luoyang with a profound sense of culture. The city is the cradle of Chinese civilization where many Chinese legends happened, such as Nvwa Patching the Sky, Dayu Controlling Flood and the Chinese ancestor Huangdi Establishing the Nation. The city is also famed as the 'Poets Capital' as poets and literates of ancient China often gathered there and left grand works, including 'Book of Wisdom' ('Daode Jing'), 'Han History' ('Han Shu') and 'Administrative Theory of Admonishing Official' ('Zi Zhi Tong Jian'). Religious culture once thrived here. Taoism originated there and the first Buddhist temple set up by the government was located there. Luoyang is also the hometown of many of the scientific inventions of ancient China, such as the seismograph, armillary sphere, paper making, printing and the compass.
Luoyang has rich historical and cultural sites. The Longmen Grottoes are one of China's three most precious treasure houses of stone sculptures and inscriptions. The White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple and is honored as the 'Cradle of Buddhism in China'. Mt. Mangshan is where ancient tombs of emperors, nobles and literates in the past dynasties collected. The Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum is the world's first example of the kind and presents thousands of treasures discovered in the tombs. Shaolin Temple is the place of origin for Chinese Zen Buddhism and the cradle of Chinese Martial Art. Landscapes in Luoyang hold the same attraction as the cultural sites. White Cloud Mountain, Funiu Mountain, Long Yu Wan National Forest Park, Ji Guan Limestone Cave and the Yellow River Xiaolangdi Scenic Area are all worth a visit. Additionally, Luoyang is particularly well known for its peonies. Every year in April, the flowers blossom and attract tourists from all over the world.
