Baima Temple

The Baima Temple (Baima Si) is one of ( if not the), oldest Buddhist Temple in China. From the outside, the Baima Temple looks as if it houses the common collection of ornaments, decorated with cartoon style colors and images that are so prevalent in many of China's cities. However, this is in fact one of the most impressive and truly holy temples in the entire province.

Legend has it that white horses carried the first scriptures from India to this spot in 68 AD, hence the name (meaning White Horse Temple) and the prevalence of horse statues about the entire area. At this time, Buddhism in India and Nepal had just reached its peak and this was almost certainly the first time Buddhism had reached China. 

The temple was initially built to house the two statues and the sutra books the explorers on horseback brought back with them from India. The temple was completed within a few years but has been repeatedly renovated and expanded following heavy periods of destruction and warfare. 

Most of the statues here today date back to the Yuan Dynasty and the reign of the Mongolians over China. Inside, the Temple complex is refreshingly peaceful and leafy with a large statue of Sakyamuni dominating the main hall. The most charming aspect of this place, is that this one of the few remaining working temples in the city. The fruit on the altars, cloth suspended from the ceiling and candles burning are all testament to this. This factor should be borne in mind by travelers and rituals and traditions respected by visitors. 

How to get there: The Temple is 12km east of Louyang City. From the railway station, there are minibuses to the Temple
Cost: RMB18

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The strong collection of Buddhist grottoes situated just outside Luoyang are testament to the importance that Buddhism once held in Chinese history. 

The grottoes are fairly famous in China and this spot can become busy in the summer months, although many of the crowds quickly head for the tacky fun-fair that is situated nearby. 

The peaceful Luo river meanders its way through the south of the town here, cutting across steep cliffs on both sides. Above, thousands of Buddhist statues stand, peering out of the cliff side. Carving began here in the 5th century when the Wei dynasty moved its capital from Datong (where they created the famous Yungang Groto) to Luoyang. At this time, Chinese Buddhism was reaching its first peak, and the emperor himself was a pious believer. Carving continued after the Wei dynasty ended and the Tang Dynasty witnessed the second peak of Buddhist belief. Construction of more than half of the works seen today in the grotto date back to this period. The Longmen Grotto boasts 1352 caves, more than 100000 statues, 40 pagodas and 3600 tablets with Buddhist inscriptions. This is an exceptional treasury and gallery of Chinese Buddhist art.

One day is not really sufficient to see all the caves, although unless you are a real enthusiast or expert you will probably have had enough after seeing a few of the most representative examples. The Fengxian cave on the southern reach has the biggest Buddha Statue in the whole collection. This Tang Dynasty statue is 17.4m tall, with ear lobes measuring more than 2m. The Binyang, Guyang and Lianhua Caves were commissioned by various royal families from the Wei Dynasty through to the Tang Dynasty and are the most luxuriously built. These caves clearly illustrate the line of development of Buddhist art over the years. 

Opening hours: 8am-6pm
How to get there: The caves are 12km south of Luoyang City. From the railway station, bus No.81 goes to the caves directly for RMB2. In tourist seasons, there are many tourist mini buses running to the caves, also costing RMB2
Cost: RMB25

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Luoyang, as one of China's seven ancient capitals, boasts numerous relics from its varied past. Many of these have recently been excavated, or are being excavated, from the tombs that can be found about the city and its outskirts. An area with a high concentration of ancient burial sites is the Mang Hill (Mang shan), considered a lucky place, located to the north of Luoyang. The Museum of Ancient Tombs (Gumu bowuguan) has been set up to give the masses a chance to view some of the finds of these excavations, and 25 of the tombs from here have been moved, brick by brick, to the museum.

After passing through the imposing entranceway, guests are directed down underground, to a series of 5 halls sectioned off according to historical era and styles. The tombs are neatly lined one after the other, and are supposed to be of the original layout. The owners of these tombs were mostly from high level royal families, or the emperors themselves, so the items contained here are of impressive quality, the luxuries of their time. Especially nice are the later tombs, including some great Tang pottery and precious metal work, and some of the murals along the way. The tombs exhibited include styles from as old as 2000 years ago (the Han Dynasty from 206 BC-220 AD) and as recent as 800 years ago (the Song Dynasty from 960 AD-1279 AD).

How to get there: The Temple is located to the north of Luoyang city. From the railway station take bus No.83.
Opening Hours: 08:30-17:30.
Cost: RMB15.

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Wangcheng Park (Wangcheng gongyuan) is the biggest public park in Luoyang, and is well worth a visit. Of all the times to come, it is best here during the spring, especially in April when the famous Peony, that are a highlight of Luoyang, are in blossom.

The park is a large affair, dissected by the Jian River, and it contains several parts. The sections are sometimes a little too familiar, including the usual poorly run zoo, so your best bet is to just take in the scenery, without the attractions here. There is, however, one attraction that could be worth a visit, an Ancient Cultural Section that is made up of a complex of mock ancient buildings in the Zhou Dynasty (1100-221 BC) style. The garden itself is built on the original site of the ancient Zhou city.

The most exciting part of the park, however, are the peony beds that are everywhere. The peony is China's answer to the Scottish thistle and Canadian maple, and it is widely regarded as a symbol of good luck. Luoyang considers itself as the hometown and age-old breeding ground of the pretty peony, a flower that is exalted in many of China's ancient literature and poetry. Every year the park organises a huge peony festival and it is an impressive display of these "King of all Flowers" when they come to bloom every April. The park contains over 200 species of planted peonies, and a total number of over 10,000 of the plants are contained within the compound. A statue of the legendary "Peony Goddess" is a sight not to be missed, standing stalwart amongst the flowering masses.

How to get there: The park is located on Zhongzhou Lu, in the east of the city. From the railway station, Bus No.102, No.101 and No. 40 can all take you to the gate of the park for RMB1.
Opening Hours: Daily, 8am-6pm.
Cost: RMB4.

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