Plan your Luoyang tour? Situated on the central plain of China, one of the cradles of the Chinese civilization, Luoyang was one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Luoyang is endowed with countless historical sites and cultural treasures.
For travelling to Shaolin Temple, read my another article How to Visit Luoyang Temple for more information.
With its historic background, you can always find many glorious palaces, temples and caves in Luoyang. Here, you can visit the famous White Horse Temple, the Guanlin Temple, the Longmen Caves and the Wancheng Park. In every April, you can appreciate the beautiful and elegant peony flowers.
No. 01: Longmen Grottoes 龙门石窟
The Longmen Grottoes, which are a treasure house of ancient Buddhist cave art, are located sixteen kilometers south of Luoyang in Henan province, on the banks of the Yi River.
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. On November 30, 2000, the Longmen Grottoes were approved by the 24th UN Heritage Commission to be put on the List of World Cultural Heritage.
Check out my another article How to Visit Longmen Grottoes for more information.
Entrance Fee: CNY 120 (Bai Garden and Xiangshan Temple are also included)
Opening Hours: 7:00-18:30 (spring, summer and autumn); 7:30-17:30 (winter)
Address: Longmen Avenue, Longmen Town, Luolong District, Luoyang 洛阳市洛龙区龙门镇龙门大道
How to get there: take Bus No. 81 at Luoyang Train Station, or take a taxi to the Longmen Grottoes; you can also take Bus No. 53 and No. 60 from the downtown area.
No. 02: White Horse Temple 白马寺
White Horse Templeis, according to tradition, the first Buddhist temple in China, established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han capital Luoyang.
The White Horse Temple is located 12 kilometers away from the east of Luoyang City. The main temple buildings, a large complex, were reconstructed during the Ming and Qing dynastie.
It has numerous halls divided by several courtyards and manicured gardens, covering an area extending to about 13 hectares. Now the White Horse has become an attraction to domestic and foreign tourists.
Read my another article How to Visit White Horse Temple for more information.
Entrance Fee: CNY 50
Opening Hours: 7:30-17:30
Address：6 Luobai Road, Baimasi Town, Luolong District, Luoyang 洛阳市洛龙区白马寺镇洛白路6号
How to get there: take Bus No.56 at Luoyang Train Station to the terminal; or take Bus No.58 at Guanlin Temple to the terminal.
No. 03: Guanlin Temple 关林
Guanlin Temple, the temple and mausoleum of Guan Yu, was built to commemorate the great general Guan Yu who is the blood brother of Liubei in the Three Kingdoms Period.
Guanlin Temple is about 7 kilometers south of Luoyang City. Covering an area of 100 mu, the temple contains halls, tablets, small stone lions and cypress.
Despite its military theme, this temple is strikingly beautiful; the elegant Ming buildings are highly carved and richly decorated. It is the divine district for palmers to pilgrimage, attracting more and more person from home and abroad.
Read my anothe article How to Visit Guanlin Temple for more information.
Entrance Fee: CNY 40
Opening Hours: 8:00-17:00
Address：2 Guanlin South Road, Luolong District, Luoyang 洛阳市洛龙区关林南路2号
How to get there: you can take many buses to get Guanlin Temple from the downtown area, including Buses No. 15, 42, 55, 58, 69, etc.
No. 04: Tianzi Jialiu Museum 周王城天子驾六博物馆
The official name of the museum is called Museum of Luoyang Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits, quite long, while it is colloquially called “Tianzi Jialiu Museum”. “Tianzi” means emperors while “Jialiu” means their chariots driven by 6 horses.
Read my another articlet How to visit Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits for more infformation.
Tianzi Jialiu Museum covers an area of 1,700 square meters. It is located underground centrally in the Dongzhou Wangcheng Square 王城广场 (Eastern Zhou Emperor City Square).
The museum has three sections – One for the brief introduction of Eastern Zhou Dynasty; second for Eastern Dynasty Mausoleum the third for the pit itself. So the Tianzi Jialiu Museum is located centrally in the city of Luoyang.
It is walkable along the axis down south from Luoyang Railway Station. Many buses take you there including buses 6, 41, 50, 52, 56, and 86 and get off at Wangcheng Square (王城广场).
Entrance fees: RMB 30
Opening time: 9:00 – 17:00 Enquiry: 0379 – 6391399 – 8000
Address: 226 Zhongzhou Middle Road, Xigong District, Luoyang 洛阳市西工区中州中路226号
Luoyang Tourism Hotline: 0379 – 12301
No. 05: Wangcheng Park 王城公园
Covering an area of 67 hectares, Wangcheng Park is the largest public park in Luoyang. Wangcheng Park is located on the main road of Luoyang. Each April, during the Luoyang Peony Festival, hundreds of thousands of peonies bloom together in a majestic display of natural beauty.
Besides the Peony Garden, another two major attractions in the park are the Historic Area and the Peony Culture Area. The prime time to enjoy the peony flowers is from April 5 to 20.
Entrance Fee: free of charge (CNY 10 in chrysanthemum exhibition, CNY 50 in Luoyang Peony Festival)
Opening Hours: 05:00-20:30
Addess：312 Zhongzhou Zhong Road, Xigong District, Luoyang 洛阳市西工区中州中路312号
How to get there: you can take many buses to get Wangcheng Park from the downtown area, including Buses No. 9, 11, 15, 40, 101, 102, etc.
No. 06: Luoyang Museum 洛阳博物馆
Luoyang Museum is a local historical museum of China which was first built in Guanlin, the south of Luoyang City, in 1958, and then moved to the north side of Zhongzhou Road in 1973.
The Museum displays 1,700 cultural relics in five exhibition rooms, which is a reflection of five different social development stages such as the Primitive Society, the Slavery Society, and the Feudal Society. Besides the basic displays, the Museum also holds exhibitions of calligraphy and paintings and so on every year.
Read my another article How to Visit Luoyang Museum for more information.
Entrance Fee: free of charge
Opening Hours: 09:00 – 17:00 (Closed on Monday)
Address: Nitai Road, Luolong District, Luoyang City 洛阳市洛龙区聂泰路
How to get there: take Bus No. 2 in the downtown area of Luoyang
No. 07: The National Peony Garden 洛阳牡丹园
Luoyang National Peony Garden is the home to more than 1,000 varieties of peony and main gene of peony in the world. It is a major sightseeing zone during the peony festival in Luoyang.
Luoyang National Peony Garden covers an area of 700 mu and is divided into North Garden and South Garden. The peony is highly reputed for its big flower, flamboyant color, full-bodied aroma and lasting florescence.
Entrance Fee: CNY 50
Opening Hours: 5：30-21：30
Address: Luoyang Peony Garden is located at the intersection of East Wangcheng Avenue east, Old 310 National Road and Guohua Road.
How to get there: take Bus No.51 from the Train Station to the National Peony Garden
No. 8: Cockscomb Limestone Cave 栾川鸡冠洞风景区
Cockscomb Limestone Cave, which is located at the small Shuangtang Gouge, was discovered during the reign of Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty.
The Cockscomb Limestone Cave is 1,800 meters long and the area for sight-seeing is about 23,000 square meters. It is divided into 8 sections respectively named Yuzhu Pond, Yicai Palace, Diewei Palace, Shilin Lane, Cangxiu Pavilion, Dongtian River, Yaochi Palace and Juxian Palace.
Entrance Fee: CNY 70 (CNY 80 during Apr.10 to May.10)
Opening Hours: the whole day
Address: Shuangtang Village, uanchuan County, Luoyang 洛阳市栾川县双塘村
How to get there: take the shuttle bus from bus station to the Cockscomb Limestone Cave; or take a bus to Luanchuan County from Luoyang city, then change the Tourist Bus to Cockscomb Limestone Cave.
No. 9: Baiyunshan National Forest Park 洛阳嵩县白云山景区
Baiyunshan National Forest Park, which covers an area of 168 kilometers, is located at the Funiu Mountain Ridge, Southern Song County, Luoyang.
The national forest park is made up by several parts, including Primitive Forest, Baiyunshan Peak, Yuhuangding Peak, Little Huangshan Mountain ad Jiulong Waterfall Scenic Area. Baiyunshan National Forest Park is regarded as “the most beautiful place” in China. It is also called the “natural museum”.
Entrance Fee: CNY 80
Opening Hours: the whole day
Address: Tonghe Village, Kacun Town, Song County, Luoyang 洛阳市嵩县车村镇铜河村
How to get there: There are shuttle buses between Luoyang and Baiyun Mountain. Take the shuttle bus at Luoyang Yiyun Bus Station to the Baiyunshan National Forest Park.
No. 10: Bai Garden 白园
Bai Garden, situated on the Pipa Peak, refers to the mausoleum of Bai Juyi who a well-known Chinese poet lived during the Tang Dynasty.
Covering an area of 44 mu, Bai Garden consists of four parts: the Green Valley District, the Tomb District, Poem Corridor District, and Administration Region. Bai Garden not only offers us beautiful landscape garden, but also serenades the unusual lifetime of Bai Juyi.
Entrance Fee: Part of the through ticket with the Longmen Grottoes
Opening Hours: 7:30-18:00
Address: Longmen Avenue, Longmen Town, Luolong District, Luoyang 洛阳市洛龙区龙门镇龙门大道
How to get there: take Buses No.53, 60, 81 and get off at the terminal Luoyang
Tip: Hassle-free Luoyang Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Luoyang Guided Tours:
Luoyang Tour
Luoyang Car Rental
Luoyang One Day Private Tour
Luoyang- Shaolin One Day Private Tour
Beijing Luoyang 2 Day Round Trip Tour
Xian Luoyang Day Tour by Bullet Train
Further Readings
Top 10 Attractions in Luoyang
How to Visit Shaolin Temple
Where to Stay in Luoyang
Luoyang Museum Guide
Museum of Luoyang Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits
How to visit White Horse Temple
Longmen Grottoes Travel Tips
Kung Fu Show at Shaolin Temple
Luoyang Taxi
Any questions, just drop a line.
How to reach Luoyang from Beijing ? How much is the distance ?
Dear Neelam srivastava,
You can take the 4-hour high speed train from Beijing West Railway Station to Luoyang Longmen Railway Station. Luoyang is about 820 km southwest of Beijing.