Luoyang

Luoyang lies in the northwestern part in Henan province. It is the important base of the machinery industry and a famous historical city in China. It is 15,000 sq. km in area. The population is estimated to be 577,000. Luoyang is one of the seven ancient cities in China. East Zhou dynasty, East Han dynasty, Cao dynasty, Wei dynasty and other nine dynasties founded Luoyang as the capital city. Longmen grottoes are the significant place of interest as is the White Horse Temple was built in East Han dynasty and is one of the earliest temple in China. Moreover, there is Hanjiacang, Baijuyi Tomb and Erlitou cultural ruins in Yanshi. There is a splendid peony ceremony on April 20th of every year.

Since Zhengzhou and Luoyang is separated only by a 4 hour bus ride, a day at the Longmen Grottoes is a must see for any visitor. The grottoes and niches of Longmen contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties. These works, entirely devoted to the Buddhist religion, represent the high point of Chinese stone carving.