Top 7 Things to Do in Luoyang | Activities in Luoyang

Luoyang in Henan Province, central China is a city with profound past and charming present. If you are planning a Luoyang tour, you won’t miss Longmen Grottoes and White Horse Temple in Luoyang and Shaolin Kung Fu experience in Dengfeng. And the annual Luoyang Peony Festival will surely attract you to come in spring. Here we have selected the top 7 things to do in Luoyang for you to better explore this ancient capital.

1. Admire Superb Stone Carving Art in Longmen Grottoes

Location: on the Yi River bank, 15 kilometers from Luoyang downtown
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00 (February - March, October 8 - October 31); 8:00-18:30 (April 1 - October 7); 8:00-17:00 (November - January)
Ticket: CNY 90

Longmen Grottoes is always on the top of Luoyang attractions. It is the largest stone carving art treasure house with the largest number of statues in the world and is rated as "the peak of Chinese stone carving art" by the UNESCO. It is now a world cultural heritage site, a national key cultural protection unit, and a national AAAAA tourist attraction.

The carving of Longmen Grottoes started in the reign of Emperor Xiaowen in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386-534) and lasted more than 10 dynasties for over 1400 years. The caves are densely distributed on the cliffs of the West Hill and East Hill along the Yi River, stretching about 1 km from north to south. At present, there are 2345 niches and more than 110,000 statues. Among them, you can not miss Vairocana Buddha in Fengxian Temple, Binyang Cave, Wanfo Cave, Guyang Cave, etc.

☛ 2 Days Luoyang Longmen Grottoes Tour
☛ 3 Days Essence of Luoyang Tour

2. Take an Extension Trip to Shaolin Temple

Shaolin Temple Location: Songshan Mountain, Dengfeng, about 55km, 1.5 hours' drive from Luoyang
Opening Hours: March ~ November: 07:30 ~ 18:00; December ~ February: 08:00 ~ 17:30
Ticket: CNY 80

Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng City is another hot destination that attracts millions of tourists every year by its mysterious Shaolin Kung Fu. With only 1.5 hours’ drive away, it is much recommended to extend your Luoyang trip to Shaolin Temple.

Shaolin Temple is firstly built in AD 495 and has a history of over 1500 years. It has always been a holy land for Kung Fu enthusiasts and Buddhism followers. Here you can watch Shaolin Kung Fu performance presented by real Shaolin martial monks, learn Buddhist culture and attend Buddhist festival, worship ancient Buddhist masters in Pagoda Forest, and appreciate stone carving art. If you are keen to Shaolin Kung Fu, you can take some Kung Fu training courses according to your itinerary. If you are interested in hiking, you can hike to Sanhuang Village Scenic Resort to appreciate the beautiful scenery of Mount Song.

☛ 3 Days Shaolin Kung Fu Tour including Luoyang Highlights
☛ 3 Days In-depth Shaolin Kung Fu Class Tour

3. Appreciate Buddhism and Architecture in White Horse Temple

Location: Baimasi Town, Luolong District, 23 kilometers from Luoyang downtown
Opening Hours: 07:30-18:00
Ticket: CNY 50

White Horse Temple enjoys a high reputation in Buddhism as it is the first officially built temple after Buddhism was introduced in China. The original White Horse Temple was built in AD 68 in grand scale. Since then, it has spread Buddhism to Japan, North Korea, southeastern Asian countries like Burma and Thailand, and European and American countries.

After several destruction and restorations, White Horse Temple now preserves the main temple, Qiyun Pagoda and an international zone with Indian temple, Burmese temple, and Thai temple. The two stone horses in front of White Horse Temple, which are about the same size as real horses, are carved in the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279) and become a symbol of this temple.

☛ 3 Days Luoyang Tour with White Horse Temple

4. Have an In-depth Learning about Luoyang in Various Museums

Luoyang Museum Location: Nietai Road, Luolong District, 6 kilometers from Luoyang downtown
Opening Hours: 09:00 - 16:30 (Tuesday - Thursday, Sunday); 09:00 - 20:30 (Friday & Saturday); closed on Monday
Ticket: Free

As a city with a long history and splendid culture, Luoyang has over 60 museums in different themes. If you want to get a comprehensive understanding of Luoyang, Luoyang Museum, the largest museum in Luoyang, is most recommended. There are over 11000 collections telling the glorious history and remarkable achievements of this thousand-year ancient capital. If you are looking for some special museums, Tianzi Jialiu Museum (天子驾六博物馆) built in the original site in Luoyang downtown will show you the horses and chariots buried over 2000 years ago. Other museums such as Luoyang Folk Custom Museum (洛阳民俗博物馆) and Luoyang Horizontal Inscribed Board Museum (洛阳匾额博物馆) are also worth a visit if time permits.

☛ 3 Days Essence of Luoyang Tour with Luoyang Museum
☛ 5 Days Henan Cultural Tour to Luoyang and Kaifeng

5. Go for a Luoyang Food Hunting

Speaking of Luoyang food, Luoyang Water Banquet (Luoyang Shuixi) dating back to the Tang Dynasty with a history of over 1000 years is the most famous one. It is composed of 8 cold and 16 hot dishes that are served to the guests one by one. It covers both meat and vegetable, providing diverse tastes such as sour, spicy, sweet, and salty. It is a true feast that you can eat to your heart’s content.

The first hot course - Swallow Dish (燕菜) is the highlight. Legend has it that this name is given by Wu Zetian - the only female emperor in China’s history. The main ingredients are white radish, sea cucumber, squid, and chicken. But when it’s done, the ingredients are in a peony shape floating on the soup. The dish is beautiful and fragrant, which wins the favor of many guests.

Recommended Luoyang Food Street: Luoyang Old City Shizi Street 洛阳老城十字街

6. Explore Colorful Nightlife in Luoyang

Though boasting a history of several thousand years, Luoyang is also a modern city with a colorful nightlife.

Luoyang Old City (Lijing Gate) is one of the busiest places in Luoyang at night. When it is getting dark and the golden lights are on, it is like you are entering a splendid palace through Lijing Gate. Behind the gate, there are numerous stores and stalls that sell various souvenirs and local snacks that appeal the tourists to linger on with no thought of leaving. If you are more into shopping malls, you can go to Xinduhui Shopping Plaza in Xigong district where many international brands and fancy restaurants gather.

☛ 3 Days Essence of Luoyang Tour with Luoyang Old City

7. Attend Luoyang Peony Festival in April and Early May

Wangcheng Park Location: in Luoyang downtown, No. 312 Zhongzhou Middle Road, Jianxi District
Opening Hours: 6:00-21:00
Ticket: Free on ordinary days, CNY 30 during peony festival

Luoyang has a reputation of “the city of peony flowers”. Every year from April to early May, Luoyang is flooded with tourists who are here to see the graceful peonies.

There are a dozen of peony gardens in Luoyang. Wangcheng Park is the main venue of Luoyang Peony Festival and there will be some peony-themed performances. China National Flower Garden is the largest specified peony garden in China. Sui and Tang Dynasties Town Botanical Garden is one of the gardens that have the most peony varieties. Luoyang International Peony Garden is where you will still have a chance to see the blooming peonies in May.

☛ 3 Days Luoyang Peony Culture Festival Tour

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