2-Day Luoyang History and Culture Tour: Longmen Grottoes + Luoyang Ancient City + Luoyang Museum + Shaolin Temple

Welcome to Luoyang. Luoyang is located in western Henan Province, east of Xi'an, and is one of China's Four Great Ancient Capitals. It was once the capital of thirteen dynasties and the eastern starting point of the ancient Silk Road. During the Tang Dynasty, Luoyang flourished as the Eastern Capital and was comparable to the Western Capital Chang'an (present-day Xi'an). In 684 AD, Wu Zetian, the first and only female emperor in Chinese history, officially made Luoyang the capital and gave it an imposing name - "Shendu" (Divine Capital). Even today, the architectural style of Luoyang's most famous Longmen Grottoes is deeply influenced by the Wu Zetian era. In addition, Luoyang is also known as the "City of Peonies." If you visit in spring, you can witness the moving scene of flowers blooming throughout the city. This morning, our experienced guide will take you to visit the Longmen Grottoes in the southern suburbs of Luoyang. The Longmen Grottoes are regarded as the foremost of China's Four Great Grottoes and house the largest and most exquisite stone carving art treasures from the Northern Wei to Tang Dynasty (316-907 AD). In 2000, the Longmen Grottoes were inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Longmen Grottoes were carved into the steep limestone cliffs on both banks of the Yi River. There are more than 2,300 existing caves and niches on the east and west hills, stretching for about 1 km. Here, you can admire nearly 110,000 Buddhist stone statues, more than 60 pagodas, and more than 2,800 inscriptions, all of which are Buddhist-themed artistic masterpieces. They are hailed as the "highest peak of Chinese stone carving art" and are the world's largest and most numerous treasure house of stone carving art. The tour focuses on the West Hill Grottoes. The most breathtaking is Fengxian Temple. The 17.14-meter-high Vairocana Buddha in the temple has a kind face and a faint smile. Folk tradition often associates it with the image of Wu Zetian, and it is therefore praised as the "Oriental Mona Lisa." On both sides of the Buddha are four pairs of attendant statues, including disciples, bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, and warriors, magnificent in scale. You will also pass the Ten Thousand Buddha Cave - densely carved with 15,000 small Buddha statues, the smallest only 2 cm high, very impressive. The Ten Thousand Buddha Cave was carved in 680 AD during the Tang Dynasty and is one of the caves with the most complete statue combinations at the Longmen Grottoes. In addition, do not miss the Three Binyang Caves, carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty and ordered by Emperor Xiaowen to commemorate his father; another highlight is the Prescription Cave, which contains more than 140 inscriptions recording treatments for various diseases; finally, do not forget to visit Guyang Cave, astonishing for its ancient and exquisite statues. Recommended tour route for Longmen Grottoes (West Hill highlights route) North Gate → Yuwang Pool → Qianxi Temple → Three Binyang Caves → Three Buddha Niches on the Cliff → Ten Thousand Buddha Cave → Lotus Cave → Fengxian Temple → Guyang Cave → Prescription Cave → South Gate, about 2-3 hours in total. If time permits, you can also cross the bridge to the East Hill Grottoes on the opposite bank of the Yi River to continue visiting. After visiting the Longmen Grottoes, you will head to Luoyang Ancient City, centered on the landmark Lijing Gate. Lijing Gate was first built in the Jin Dynasty (1217 AD) and was the west gate of the ancient capital Luoyang, known as the "First Gate of the Central Plains." This place has a long history, and folk sayings include "If you don't visit Lijing Gate, your trip to Luoyang is in vain" and "Luoyang peonies are the best under heaven, and the Lijing city tower is unmatched in the world." Stepping into the ancient city, along the old streets with gray bricks and tiles, there are historic residences, lively food streets, and distinctive small shops, vividly showing the bustling market life of ancient Luoyang. You can slow down, taste a bowl of authentic Bufan Soup, bite into a crispy and fragrant peony flower cake, or pick out a few souvenirs you like. Adding even more ancient charm, today's old city is filled with young people wearing ruqun and Hanfu - in small groups, strolling with fans or smiling by the railings, as if by accident they have traveled back with you to that elegant and peerless ancient China. After the tour, return to your hotel in Luoyang to rest. Optional experience: Empress Wu Banquet - a palace feast traveling back to the Tang Dynasty If you want to experience the ultimate luxury of the glorious Tang Dynasty, then this feast inspired by China's only female emperor must not be missed. This is not just a meal, but a multi-sensory immersive experience - presented in the form of Luoyang Water Banquet, exquisite dishes appear one after another amid melodious palace ritual music. The highlight of the banquet is the stunning Peony Swallow Vegetable - a finely carved "peony flower" with both form and spirit slowly blooming in the soup. It is said that this was Wu Zetian's favorite dish. You can choose to wear traditional Tang Dynasty clothing and dine accompanied by live palace music and classical dance. Amid the clinking of cups, melodious music, and fluttering dance sleeves, it feels as if you have traveled back to that prosperous "Shendu" era in the blink of an eye. Practical tips Price: 298-398 yuan per person. It is recommended to book through official channels, and during holidays you must book in advance. Performance times: Lunch about 12:00-13:30, dinner about 19:00-20:30 (it is recommended to confirm the day's schedule before departure). Xigong Flagship Store (Water Banquet Garden): Second floor of Water Banquet Garden Flagship Store, intersection of Wangcheng Avenue and Jiudu Road, Xigong District (the most mature and consistently well-reviewed store). Old City Cross Street Store: Near the intersection of Zhongzhou East Road and North Street, Old City District (convenient after visiting Luoyi Ancient City or Lijing Gate).

After breakfast, you will visit the [Luoyang Museum], immersively appreciating the weight and glory of this ancient capital of thirteen dynasties. The museum houses more than 100,000 cultural relics, of which more than 1,000 precious artifacts are selected for permanent exhibition, focusing on the thread of civilization from the Xia and Shang dynasties to the Sui and Tang, and then to the Northern Song. Strolling through the large-scale general history exhibition "Heluo Civilization" on the first-floor exhibition hall, you will follow the axis of time from prehistory to the Five Dynasties and Northern Song, as if traveling through centuries of history. Then, you can leisurely step into the second-floor exhibition halls, focusing on the Treasures Hall and the Tang Sancai Hall, which concentrate many of the Luoyang Museum's "treasures of the museum." Black-glazed Sancai Horse (Tang Dynasty): Glossy black throughout, it is one of only two surviving black-glazed Tang Sancai pieces in China, with four hooves treading snow, vigorous and powerful. Clay Buddha Face (Northern Wei): Unearthed from the Yongning Temple site, only half a face remains, yet it has smiled for a thousand years and is praised as the "Mona Lisa of the East." White Jade Cup (Cao Wei): Plain and unpatterned throughout, warm and smooth as congealed fat, embodying the Cao Wei period's style of "great simplicity." Gilt Bronze Feathered Man (Eastern Han): The feathered man kneels and sits with wings spread high, full of the Han Dynasty's romantic imagination of immortality. Gold- and Silver-Inlaid Bronze Ding (Warring States): Geometric patterns inlaid with gold and silver wire, with craftsmanship so exquisite that people today are amazed. Afterward, you will drive to visit Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng City, Zhengzhou (about 74 kilometers from Luoyang, about 70 minutes by car). [Shaolin Temple] is the ancestral home of Chinese Buddhist Chan Buddhism and the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu, enjoying the reputation of "Holy Land of Kung Fu." After arriving, you will first enjoy a 30-minute kung fu performance at the Shaolin Martial Arts Hall, experiencing the true skills of Shaolin warrior monks, combining hardness and softness. Next, you will visit the majestic architectural complex of Shaolin Temple. The entire temple is arranged along the central axis with seven main halls in sequence. Among them, inside the mountain gate hangs a huge black plaque with golden characters—the three large characters "Shaolin Temple," personally inscribed by the Qing Dynasty Kangxi Emperor. The center of the temple is the Mahavira Hall, where monks chant scriptures daily and hold major ceremonies. On the floor inside the hall are nearly 50 small pits, said to be footprint marks left by monks of past generations during practice. Afterward, you will visit the Pagoda Forest, the largest and longest-continuing ancient pagoda complex extant in China, worthy of being called a "museum of ancient architectural art." It contains more than 240 brick and stone tomb pagodas from the Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, burying eminent monks, abbots, and enlightened monks of past generations. It is very worth seeing. After the tour, your 2-day Luoyang historical and cultural journey will come to an end. Our driver will take you to Luoyang Railway Station/Airport, making it convenient for you to take your onward high-speed rail or flight to the next destination.