Luoyang - prefecture-level city in Henan, People's Republic of China

Luoyang (洛阳; Luòyáng) is a city in the West Henan province of China. Tourists come here primarily to see the Longmen Caves, the White Horse Temple and Guanlin Temple, which are close to the town, rather than the town itself. Ruined remains of the ancient cities called "Luoyang" are scattered in and around the Old Town area, and some can be visited.

Understand

Luoyang is in the heartland of Chinese civilisation. It was the capital of several dynasties in Chinese history, most notably the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the state of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. It was the eastern terminus of the historic Silk Road, and the junction of the three ancient canals that made up the original Grand Canal.

The city is on the northern side of the Luo River. The train station is north of the town centre, and Jinguyuan Lu (金谷园路) goes from the station to Wangcheng Square. To the east is the Old Town and to the west the Wangcheng Park.

Get in

By plane

• Luoyang Beijiao Airport (洛阳北郊机场, Luòyáng běijiāo jīchǎng, IATA: LYA), 34.7368°, 112.3864°. About 10 km north of the city center. Flights are available from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and a few other major cities. Xinzheng airport in Zhengzhou has a much better selection of destinations, and is on a high-speed rail line (but you need to change at Zhengzhou East, and it may not be obvious how to do this). 2018-04-19

By train

There are two train stations in Luoyang: Luoyang Station (northern end of Jinguyuan Road) and Luoyang Longmen (south of Luoyang).

• Luoyang Longmen Station (洛阳龙门站), 34.5941°, 112.4527°. This station handles all high-speed trains, including high-speed sleepers. Beijing West takes about 4 hours, Xi'an takes about 1½-2 hours, Zhengzhou takes about 40 min, Shanghai takes 5-6 hours (or 9 hours on the D-class sleeper). There is a direct shuttle bus to Longmen Grottoes leaving from outside the station exit, just past the touts who'd prefer that you not take it. 2018-04-19
• Luoyang Station (洛阳站), 34.6868°, 112.4298°. This station handles all low-speed trains, including most sleepers. Beijing takes 8-11 hours, Guangzhou takes about 24 hours, Shanghai takes about 17 hours, and Wuhan takes about 8 hours. Left luggage is available in at least two places at this station. The first left luggage to the left of the exit is ¥10 per bag, as displayed on a small plaque which is not immediately visible. Despite this they will charge ¥15 to foreigners who do not assert that they know the price is ¥10. 2018-04-19

By bus

Luoyang has two major bus stations. The main bus station is across the plaza Luoyang train station, at the corner of Jinguyuan Road and Daonan Road.

• Luoyang Bus Station (洛阳汽车站), 34.6855°, 112.4326°. Buses to Anyang (about 4 hours), Guangzhou (about 27 hours), Jinan (about 9 hours), Kaifeng (about 4 hours), Taiyuan (about 8 hours), Xi'an (about 5 hours), Zhengzhou (about 2 hours), and other destinations. 2018-04-19
• Luoyang East Long Distance Bus Station (洛阳长途汽车站), 34.6924°, 112.5278°. Serves a similar collection of destinations, with similar times and prices. For most common destinations, it has fewer buses, though. 2018-04-19
• Guanlin Bus Terminal (关林汽车站), 34.6172°, 112.4683°. In the south. Occasional service, mainly to minor destinations. 2018-04-19

Get around

Transportation inside the city of Luoyang is very convenient. There are two kinds of city buses which cost ¥1 or ¥1.5 per ride. The buses offer beautiful scenery all around the city. This is the convenient and affordable way to travel in Luoyang.

The taxi start price is ¥5 (includes 3 km), + ¥1.5 per additional kilometer.

A metro system is under constructions. The first line is scheduled to open by April 2021, and a second line is expected to open before the end of 2021.

The Luoyang Public Security Bureau advises that foreigners are strictly prohibited from entering any of the following counties: 1. Yiyang County (宜阳县), 2. Luanchuan County (栾川县), 3. Song County (嵩县). This means of course that all tourist attractions in those counties, including famous sights such as Laojun Mountain (老君山) and Baiyun Mountain (白云山) are also off-limits to foreigners.

See

Luolong District

• Baima Temple (白马寺; Báimǎsì; lit. White Horse Temple), 6 Luobai Road, Luolong District (洛龙区洛白路6号) (12 km east of the city centre; take bus no. 56, 58, 87 or 801), 34.7224°, 112.5985°, +86 379 63781065. 07:40-18:00. This is the first officially sanctioned Buddhist temple in China and one of the oldest in the world. It was established almost 2000 years ago but rebuilt many times since. Tickets are normally ¥35, but cost ¥50 on public holidays
• Dingding Gate Ruins Museum (定鼎门遗址博物馆), Gucheng Road, Luolong District (洛龙区古城路) (400 meters west of the intersection of Gucheng Road and Longmen Avenue; take bus no. 3 or 55), 34.632503718192055°, 112.46031844561604°, +86 379 80881315. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays. Built during the Sui and Tang dynasties when Luoyang was the capital of the Chinese empire, the Dingding Gate was the city's main gate up until the Song Dynasty when it was gradually abandoned. The ruins are housed inside a building complex that is designed to resemble what the gate may have looked like during its heyday. ¥30 2021-01-23
• Guanlin Temple (关林庙), 2 Guanlin South Road, Luolong District (洛龙区关林南路2号) (bus 81 from the train station stops near here (at the intersection of Longmen Ave and Guanlin Rd) and then continues on to the Longmen Grottoes; there is also a bus stop just outside the temple, which is served by bus nos. 15, 39, 55, 58, 69, 71, 167 and 603), 34.6087°, 112.4773°, +86 379 65951746, +86 379 65962018. 08:00-18:30. Commemorates Guan Yu, great warrior of the Kingdom of Shu and main character from, "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". The temple is built over the mausoleum which houses the general god's head, and contains several halls dedicated to the deified man. The side halls are all under construction. ¥40
• Longmen Grottoes (龙门石窟 (Longmen Shiku)), 34.5632°, 112.4711°. One of the finest Buddhist rock sculptural sites in China and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Luoyang Museum (洛阳博物馆), Nietai Road, Luolong District (洛龙区聂泰路) (Bus route 77), 34.64386°, 112.44577°, +86 379 69901002. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays. Very well done museum featuring an extensive collection of ancient Zhou Dynasty bronzes as well as Han and Tang Dynasty porcelains, nearly all of which were made and found in the area, giving a sense of the former grandeur of the ancient capital. The museum is sparkling and features broad, uncrowded exhibit rooms and efficient air conditioning, making it a good way to beat the summer heat after the Longmen Caves. Even those with only a passing interest in porcelain will be satisfied. Free

Laocheng District

• Duke of Zhou Temple Museum (洛阳周公庙博物馆), 21 Dingding South Road, Laocheng District (老城区定鼎南路21号) (about 100 meters north of the intersection of Dingding South Road and Kaixuan Road; take bus no. 33, 52, 53, 55, 61, 65, 76, 81, 93, 206, 501, 505 North, 888, 889 or 909), 34.67745800717221°, 112.45613086376615°, +86 379 65277005, lyzgmbwg@126.com. 09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays. A memorial temple dedicated to the Duke of Zhou, a famous statesmen and aristocrat who acted as the regent of the Zhou Dynasty from 1042 BC to 1035 BC. The temple was commissioned in 618 AD by the Sui Dynasty general Wang Shichong and rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty. Free 2021-01-23
• Eighth Route Army Luoyang Office Museum (八路军驻洛办事处纪念馆), 222 Jiudu East Road, Laocheng District (老城区九都东路222号) (bus nos. 7, 16, 17, 23, 57, 74, 206, and 980), 34.67788116353488°, 112.4751222718965°, +86 379 63973726. 09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays. The museum is inside a traditional Chinese mansion built in 1831 that was originally the home of a wealthy merchant. Between 1938 and 1942, the mansion served as the Luoyang office of the Eighth Route Army, a Communist controlled group army that was created from the Red Army when the Communists and the Nationalists formed the Second United Front against Japan. Free 2021-01-23
• Luoyang Ancient Art Museum (洛阳古代艺术博物馆, previously known as the Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum 洛阳古墓博物馆), 45 Airport Road, Laocheng District (老城区机场路45号) (3 km east of the airport parking lot; take a bus to the airport, then walk or catch a taxi from there), 34.73404257455918°, 112.40809607895762°, +86 379 62265740. As of August 2020, the museum is closed for renovations. Fascinating museum with reconstructed and unearthed tombs from the Western Han dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty.
• Luoyang Folk Museum (洛阳民俗博物馆), 433 Xin Street, Laocheng District (老城区新街433号) (the nearest bus stop is the Xin Street & Jiudu East Road Intersection (新街九都东路口), which is served by bus nos. 3, 16, 22, 42, 57, 86, 90, d3 and v8), 34.67990025863288°, 112.48343928810529°, +86 379 63961077, lymsbwg@163.com. 09:00-12:00, 13:30-17:00. Free 2020-08-22
• Luoyang Go Museum (Luoyang Weiqi Museum, 洛阳围棋博物馆), 12 Airport Road, Laocheng District (老城区机场路12号) (on the east side of Luoyang Peony Garden; take bus no. 5, 16, 37, 46, 51, 66 or 91 and get off at the Guohua Road Public Bus Parking Lot (国花路公交停车场); the museum is about 500 meters north of the bus stop), 34.710130°, 112.421268°, +86 379 62268268. 09:00-11:30, 14:30-16:30, closed on Mondays. A private museum about go (Chinese: 围棋 wéiqí), a classic Chinese board game. The museum is owned by a devoted player who also runs a company which produces go equipment. Free 2020-08-15
• Shangqing Temple Forest Park (上清宫森林公园, Shangqing Palace Forest Park), National Highway 310, Laocheng District (老城区310国道) (take bus no. 47 to Shijiagou (史家沟), bus no. 995 or 997 to Shijiagou North (史家沟北) or bus no. 32, 47 or 301 to Weizi Road & JIngqi Road Intersection East (魏紫路经七路口东)), 34.7057°, 112.4526°. 08:00-17:00 (temple). The centerpiece of the park is the Shangqing Temple, a Taoist Temple that was founded in the Tang Dynasty. The temple has been rebuilt and renovated many times, partly due to damage caused by numerous disasters such as an earthquake in the 16th century and a Japanese bombing raid in World War II. Free

Xigong District

• Museum of Luoyang Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits (天子驾六博物馆), 226 Zhongzhou Middle Road, Xigong District (西工区中州中路226号) (take one of the following buses to Wangcheng Square (王城广场): bus nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 40, 48, 50, 52, 56, 62, 77, 78, 81, 98, 103, 201, 206, 503, 807 or D1), 34.67521701589625°, 112.43682901187623°, +86 379 63912399. 09:00-18:00. A small archaeological museum on the site of a Zhou Dynasty king's tomb. As the museum's name indicates, the most notable feature of the tomb is the horse and chariot pits. Most striking of all is Pit No. 5, which contains the actual chariot ridden by the king and includes the remains of the six horses that pulled the chariot. ¥30 2021-01-23
• Wangcheng Park (王城公园), 312 Zhongzhou Middle Road, Xigong District (西工区中州中路312号) (there is a bus stop of the same name near the south gate, which is served by bus nos 9, 10, 11, 15, 19, 23, 32, 40, 50, 59, 99, 101, 101a, 102 and 103; to get to the north gate, take bus no. 78), 34.6674°, 112.4144°, +86 379 63938545 (enquiries and complaints), +86 379 63263356 (tickets). 07:00-19:00, no entry after 18:00. One site of the Luoyang Peony Festival in April, something not to be missed. Entry to the main area of the park is normally free except during the Peony Festival when there is a charge of ¥30. Entry to the zoo is ¥15

Outlying areas

• Du Fu's Tomb (杜甫墓), Yanshi (偃师市) (about 23 km east of central Luoyang, take bus no. 801 from Luoyang Bus Station and get off at Dulou (杜楼); the tomb is about 600 m north of the bus stop), 34.7335°, 112.7399°. This is allegedly the tomb of Du Fu (712-770 AD), a great poet of the Tang Dynasty who wrote more than 3000 poems during his lifetime. According to some historical records, Du Fu was originally buried in Hunan Province but about 40 years later, his grandson Du Siye reburied his coffin at this location, so that he could lay beside the graves of his ancestors. Whether Du Fu is actually buried here, however, is a mystery. There are in fact no less than eight tombs in China that all claim to be Du Fu's Tomb. Free 2018-04-19
• Erlitou Xia Capital Site Museum (二里头夏都遗址博物馆), Gucheng Expressway, Yanshi (偃师市古城快速路) (Take bus no. 210 from Luoyang Longmen Station and get off at the final stop), 34.6809978098°, 112.6894014216°. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays. The ancient bronze age city of Erlitou is claimed by some archaeologists and historians to have been the capital of the Xia Dynasty, China's legendary first dynasty. Around 2000 artefacts from the site are displayed in this brand new museum, which opened in October 2019. Free 2019-10-23
• Yuan Mausoleum (汉原陵, 汉光武帝陵 Tomb of Emperor Guangwu), Baihe Town, Mengjin County (孟津县白鹤镇) (Get a bus to the Mengjin County Bus Station (for example bus nos. 301 or 302 from Luoyang Bus Station), then transfer to bus no. 315 and get off at Goukou (沟口); the tomb is about 2 km north of the bus stop), 34.843495°, 112.589168°, +86 379 67869474, +86 379 67869777. 08:00-19:30. Located outside the city limits, this is the tomb of Emperor Guangwu, the first emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who restored the Han Dynasty in AD 25 after it had been deposed by court official Wang Mang in AD 9. ¥30 2020-08-27

Do

• Ancient Store Street (古董街). Luoyang has a long, beautiful with fully functioning stores, a lot like Pingyao, another incredible visit.

Buy

• Shanghai Market (上海市场). A long street where you can find a lot of stuff such shoes (some very cheap), clothes, sports, and DVDs. All along the street there are mini malls at both sides of the street where you can find endless stuff such as electronic devices, mobiles, clothes, accessories, and packages.
• Walmart (沃尔玛). Many western products.
• Wanfuqin. A big mall like any you can find in Europe.

Eat

• Qianjude Peking Duck Restaurant. Famous for duck of course, but has many other delicious entrees.
• Dirty Street, Guangzhou Shichuang. 24/7. This is not so much a restaurant as it is a dirty street where they sell barbecue and other foods 24 hours a day. In daylight hours it doubles as a spice market, at night there are more food options, and after midnight it is the best option for late-night meals in all of Luoyang (though the city does have a few all-night McDonalds [Shanghai Shichuang], a 24-hour KFC [Wangfujing], and a steak restaurant that never closes [xinduhui] as well as various street vendors). The barbecue here is not the best in Luoyang, but it is better than what you'd find in many other cities. Adventurous eating is recommended: local favorites are sheep eyes, kidneys, and testicles. Throughout the day a large number of people eat here so the meat is generally very fresh, and the meat is cooked over an open flame so don't worry about food poisoning, but it's essentially a dirty street where drunk people go to eat spicy, greasy, salty food before they go home. Awesome food. Nobody speaks English here, but the vendors are accustomed to foreigners so just point at what you want and they will cook it for you. cheap

Drink

In Luoyang you can find a huge selection of restaurants, but there are not so many bars and clubs. If you want to drink baijiu (strong liquor based on rice) you should go to a restaurant, because clubs do not carry it.

• Aipai. Close about 02:00. They also have private rooms and it is quite big. They have live music, dancing, gogo girls and the cocktail guys' show is really nice. Full bar with a nice cocktail selection.
• Art Bar, Zhujiang South Road. This is not for dance but for drink. They have many tables and a second floor with private rooms and a pool. They have many artists that sing and play live music from 21:30. Full bar plus popcorn or fruit. On the same street there are a few bars, all of them with live music and a variety of drinks.
• Come Bar. Private minirooms popular with couples. Romantic or slow music. You can drink, have an ice-cream or eat something.
• Lanmei, Nan Chang Road. Close about 01:30. Disco where you can drink beer, vodka, rum or many other spirits seated at a table. They also have private rooms with karaoke. At 10PM they start to play music for dance. It has a bouncing floor so you can follow the rhythm easily. They have gogo girls that dance 5 minutes every hour more or less.
• Mirage Bar. A quiet bar where you can talk and drink. Full bar.
• New Paradise. Taiwanese owned bar. Good mix of expats and Chinese. Extremely cute and intelligent staff, good food and cheap beer. Say "hi" to the beautiful Rebecca!

Sleep

• Luoyang Yijia International Youth Hostel, No.329 zhongzhoudong Road, in the opposite of Qingnianggong square, next to the church, +86-0379-63512311, lyhostel@hotmail.com. Luoyang Yijia, in the center of China’s ancient capital Luoyang, is a special and well-equipped hostel with its own cultural background features and art taste. There you will get the chance to meet people from all over the world and make friends with various travellers. There are five kinds of available rooms: Private Twin Room, Double Bed Room, Triple Room, Family Room, and Dorm. All of them equipped with air conditioners and the former four type rooms also enjoy its own bathroom and TV. For the Dorm, the hostel provide guests with public bathroom. ¥40-180

Budget

• Luoyangmingyuan Youth Hostel, 20 Jiefang North Road (about 5 minutes walk from the railway station), +86 379 63191269, lymingyuan@163.com. A nice hostel that looks very much like a hotel. Clean rooms with air conditioning and breakfast included. Dorms ¥50
• Luoyang Jujia Hostel, Qiaonan D Section, Longlin Road, Jianxi District, 34.655742127534886°, 112.36880779266357°, +86 158 37906577, tld316@hotmail.com. Not a hostel per se but more a homestay in a clean, well organised private apartment. The neighbourhood is a real, non-touristy and friendly area with a lot of atmosphere to explore in the day and in the evening (local restaurants abound, including franchises such as Mr. Lee 10mins walk north on Xiyuan Rd). Rooms with shared facilities (hot water shower) and free Internet/WiFi. Guest kitchen, washing machine, safety box and café available. The owner is a very nice person with generous coffee but his English is very basic. It is somewhat far from the train station (40 min by bus ¥1, 15 min by taxi ¥19) but do not try to find it alone, the owner or his son will kindly pick you up. If visiting during the winter be prepare for the cold night because there is not an ambient heater. However the owner will provide you with a comfortable heated blanket which will be more than enough for a nice evening sleep. Twin rooms from ¥70
• Renhe Hotell, Xiyuan Road, beside the Oriental Hospital (about 10 min by taxi from the railway station), 34.66244030802589°, 112.37608850708008°, +86 379 64278936. Simple 2-star, a great non-touristy location in west Luoyang. Clean rooms with air conditioning. Easy access to old town by bus 8. Room ¥78-108
• Luoyang International Hostel, Binjiang office Building, 72 Jinguyuan.
• Nanyuan Express Hotel (洛阳南苑快捷酒店; Luò​yáng​ Nán​yuàn​ Kuài​jié​jiǔ​diàn​), South end of Nanchang Road, Jianxi District (涧西区南昌路南段231号; Jiàn​xī​qū​ Nán​chāng​lù​nán​duàn​). Rooms with free internet and electric kettle. Ticket office, fitness and massage available. Listed rates for doubles from ¥198, discounted from ¥130, including breakfast

Mid-range

• Luoyang Xiaolangdi Hotel (洛阳小浪底宾馆; Luò​yáng​ xiǎo​làng​dǐ​ Bīn​guǎn​), South end of Nanchang Road, Jianxi District (涧西区南昌路南段; Jiàn​xī​qū Nán​chāng​lù​nán​duàn)​​, +86 379 64946688. Three-star hotel with rooms with free internet. Business center, gift shop, ticket office, billards and fitness available. Chinese restaurant. Listed rates for doubles from ¥380, discounted ¥218, breakfast ¥15
• Luoyang Shendu Hotel (洛阳神都大厦; Luò​yáng​ Shén​dū​ Dà​shà​), 168 Huangmei Road, Xigong District (西工区黄梅路168号; Xī​gōng​qū​ Huángméilù), +86 379 63485088. Three-star hotel with large rooms with free internet. Business center, ticket office, table tennis, fitness and massage available. Chinese restaurant and room service. Listed rates for doubles from ¥480, discounted from ¥228, including breakfast

Splurge

• Lee Royal Hotel Mudu (洛阳钼都利豪国际饭店; Luò​yáng ​Mù​dūlì​háo​guó​jì​ Fàn​diàn​​), Middle section of Kaiyuan Avenue, Luonanxin District (洛南新区开元大道中段; Luò​nán​xīn​qū​ Kāi​yuán​dà​dào​zhōng​duàn​), +86 379 65979999, leeroyalhotel@126.com. Five-star hotel with rooms with free internet. Business center, currency exchange, gift shop, beauty salon, ticket office, table tennis, fitness, tennis and indoor swimming pool available. Chinese and Western restaurants as well as coffee shop and bar. Listed rates ¥1,088-1,980, including breakfast
• Luoyang Dongshan Hotel (洛阳东山宾馆; Luò​yáng​ Dōng​shān​ Bīn​guǎn​), Dongshan, Luolong District (洛龙区东山; Luò​lóng​qū​ Dōng​shān)​, +86 379 64686000. Rooms with free internet. Business center, currency exchange, gift shop, ticket office, billards, table tennis, fitness, tennis, basketball, indoor swimming pool, massage and water sports available. Chinese and Western restaurants as well as coffee shop and bar. Listed rates ¥880-1,580, including breakfast

Go next

Beijing is 3½-4 hours away by high-speed rail or 7-11 hours by sleeper train, Shanghai is 8-10 hours away by high-speed sleeper train, and Xi'an is 1½-2 hours away by high-speed train or 4-5 hours away by slow train. It is possible (although gruelling) to arrive from Beijing or Shanghai by overnight train, visit the Longmen grottoes and possibly one or two other sights, then continue to Xi'an in the space of 1 night and a day.