Luoyang Tour︱From the Summer Dynasty Capital to the Northern Dynasties' Grottoes to the Flourishing Tang Dynasty's Heavenly Gate

With three days to visit Luoyang, which attractions can you explore? November in Luoyang is actually very comfortable, with suitable temperatures, perfect for leisurely outdoor strolls. Due to its profound historical heritage, there are many places to visit regardless of the season, so you can only choose some based on your preferences and time. Since I went to Datong last year and found that my child was particularly interested in Buddha statues and temples, I recently had some time and thought of taking him to Luoyang, following the route of the Northern Wei capital relocation to experience the unique features and impact of the northern and southern grottoes. Day 1: Longmen Grottoes, Xiangshan Temple → White Horse Temple → Luoyi Ancient City. The visit to Longmen Grottoes takes longer because across the way there are also Xiangshan Temple and Baiyuan Park. If time permits, you can visit all of them. We didn’t visit Baiyuan Park because we also wanted to go to White Horse Temple, which is quite far from the city center. After visiting White Horse Temple, we went to Luoyi Ancient City in the evening and watched a performance called "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers." From there, my child became especially impressed with the Dunhuang Flying Apsaras. Day 2: Dad went to Laojun Mountain, but I worried it might be too tiring for my child, so we continued exploring the city. The itinerary for the day: Zhengfang, Sui-Tang City Ruins Botanical Garden → Erlitou Summer Capital Site Museum → Xuanzang’s Hometown. Zhengfang is a small park, but it has a bald cypress forest with leaves turning red on top and white mist swirling below, attracting many tourists to take photos. The Erlitou Summer Capital Site Museum is a bit far from the city center; if you are interested in history and have time, you can go for a close look at the history of the Xia Dynasty. If time is tight, visiting the Luoyang Museum is also fine. Xuanzang’s Hometown is the childhood home of Xuanzang. When we visited, it was under renovation, but they still let us in to take a look. Day 3: Luoyang Museum → Yingtian Gate, Mingtang, Tiantang. We spent more than three hours at the Luoyang Museum, and by the end, my child was exhausted, so we hurriedly visited the last few exhibition halls before leaving. "One Luoyang city, half of Chinese history"—the artifacts displayed in chronological order in the museum make this saying tangible. The Luoyang Museum is worth visiting multiple times. Yingtian Gate, Mingtang, and Tiantang were built during the Wu Zhou period, all showing the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty. Standing on the top floor of Yingtian Gate or Tiantang, you can see most of Luoyang city. Because we had a child with us, we didn’t wait for the evening light show, which is a small regret. Due to limited time, we couldn’t fully enjoy everything at once. We didn’t get to visit the Ancient Tomb Museum, Grand Canal Museum, Emperor’s Six-Horse Chariot Museum, or Guanlin Temple. Luoyang, we will see you again when there’s a chance! 🌈 Although traveling is mainly for relaxation, my child gained a lot from this trip. After returning from Luoyang, he became especially interested in the history of the Northern and Southern Dynasties and reads a chapter of a book on that history every day.