"Luoyang" Luoyang by Ramonq

Luoyang grows on you. I first arrived feeling let down because of the heavy pollution and clouds of dusts that descended on the city. It's a shame because the city is trying its best to look good, with its wide avenues, modern buildings and tree-lined streets. It even has an "Eiffel Tower" in a form of an television tower to boot! However when the rains poured down and the winds blew away the dusts, Luoyang can be quite pleasant! Luoyang is a typical industrial Chinese city of a little more than a million people. It looks industrial and busy, but beneath its modernity, Luoyang has an impressive history that is as long as China's. Most outsiders would ask why visit Luoyang? Well this city in the central Chinese province of Henan, sits in the cradle of Chinese civilisation, and Luoyang played an important role in the formation of the Chinese nation. The city by the Yellow River, is one of the four greatest ancient capitals of China namely, Beijing, Nanjing, Chang'an (Xi'an), and Luoyang. As the Chinese discover more and more about its ancient past, this list of capital cities has now grown to nine. Looking around this industrial city, it is unbelievable that the city was once the capital of China during the reign of 96 emperors in 13 dynasties over a period of 1,529 years, but its earliest existence dates back 5000 years! Walking past KTV karaoke bars and a Carrefour shopping mall, very little trace of its regal heritage can be seen. However, they do exist!

Longmen Grotto

At the heart of the city is a fascinating modern square, now surrounded by skyscrapers, which houses the tomb of Emperor Zhou during the Zhou dynasty who ruled from 770 BC. An impressive monument of a group of 6 horses pulling a chariot stands above the tomb, and inside you can still skeletal remains of the horses in their original position and the chariots which used to carry the mighty emperor . Northeast of Luoyang is the Baima Temple (White Horse Temple) which was the first Buddhist temple in China constructed at the time when the religion was introduced to China from India. For history buffs, Mt Mangshan in the northern suburbs of Luoyang, is the Chinese equivalent of the ancient Egyptian Valley of the Kings of Luxor or the Wawel Hill of Krakow because there are a lot of emperors buried here dating back as early as the Zhou Dynasty.

Still, Luoyang's most famous legacy to the world is the Longmen Grotto, which is located in the southern suburbs of the city (around 12 kms). This has to be one of the most impressive Buddhist artwork in the world. Archeologist have said that there 2345 caves, 43 pagodas and over 100,000 Buddhist images at the site. some dating back from the Northern Wei Dynasty of the 3rd century AD, but a majority were from the Tang Dynasty, a dynasty which evolved between the 8th-10th century AD when Chinese art grew in sophistication and flourished. The site of these gigantic carvings of the Buddha from the mountain rocks would be one of the highlights for many travellers to China. Although Buddhism originated from India, the Chinese perfected the art form which venerated the Buddha, the enlighted one.

Peony Peony everywhere at Wang Cheng Park

Luoyang today is not as famous or glamourous as Beijing, Xi'an or Shanghai, in fact many non-Chinese tourists have never heard of Luoyang. It is a pity because Luoyang is right in the heart of the Han Chinese culture. Although most of the city's main historical sites are in the suburbs, the modern city itself is trying to recover the lustre it once had. Luo Pu Park along the Yellow River is a relaxing place to stroll and see the famous dancing fountains under the shadow of the Luoyang Television Tower. Luoyang is also famous in China for its unfailing reverence to the flower called peony, the national flower of China. Unexpectedly, I was in Luoyang during the Peony Flower festival which occurs every spring. The Wang Cheng Park is the main centre of Peony celebration and I could not believe how the Chinese adore this flora. Maybe because Luoyang nowadays is every bit a smog-filled industrial city, that a sight of these springtime flowers evoke memories of long forgotten ancient China, a time of Confucius, the revered Chinese philosopher, who apparently stayed in Luoyang for quite some time.

• Pros:The caves
• Cons:air pollution
• In a nutshell:They love their peonies here.