洛阳
Luoyang
Capital of 13 dynasties and home to the Longmen Grottoes — 100,000 Buddhist carvings in a river cliff face spanning 500 years.
洛阳
Capital of 13 dynasties and home to the Longmen Grottoes — 100,000 Buddhist carvings in a river cliff face spanning 500 years.
Luoyang was one of China's earliest capitals, serving 13 dynasties over 1,500 years. Its greatest treasure is the Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where over 100,000 Buddhist statues were carved into a 1km stretch of cliff face along the Yi River between the 5th and 10th centuries. The largest figure, the Vairocana Buddha at 17 meters tall, is said to bear the face of Empress Wu Zetian. Luoyang is also famous for its peonies — the city flower blooms in April in a spectacular festival that has drawn visitors since the Tang Dynasty.
