Youth Quest : Luoyang

Luoyang

Luoyang, situated in the west of Henan province, is the start point of the Silk Road. It is one of the seven ancient capital cities in China's history. It has been regarded as the "center of China" since ancient times.

It is a quieter place as compared to the busy cities, but it is a must visit for people interested in Buddhism and temples. The famous Longman Grottes, Guanlin Temple, Zhongyue Temple, and Shaolin Monastery can be found here.

Attractions | Shopping | Food

Attractions

Long Men Shi Ku (Longmen Grottoes) was listed by UNESCO as the World Cultural Heritage Site in 2000.

It contains 2345 caves and niches, and more than 100 000 Buddhist sculptures which were carved and chiseled on the cave walls. The sculptures ranged from 2cm to 17m tall.

Most of them lasted from as early as from the Northern Wei and Tang Dynasty, which is 1500 years ago. It is a magnificent sight as the Grottoes range a length of more than 1km.

Every cave contains thousands of Buddhist carvings.

Pictures taken in the ancient tomb turn out to be mystery red in colour... ... creepy!

For those who are curious at how tombs look like, take a visit to The Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum.

The museum has exact replicas of 22 tombs in is exhibition hall. It is not your normal museum, as you can find the original relics and even skeletons. Some 10000 tombs have been excavated here. You can also find the burial ground and coffin of one of the ancient emperors.

Be prepared to wear extra clothing even on a hot summer though. The place can be creepy and scary. The temperature is very low underground even though there is not a single air conditioner in sight

Shaolin Monastery can be found on the famous Mt. Songshan, 3 hours ride away from Luoyang city.

It is a place of pilgrimage for monks and Buddhists. However, it is now also a place for martial arts enthusiasts to learn Chinese gongfu.

Take a close examine on the trees and stone floors. You can find deep depressions, which were probably left by the monks who were practicing their gongfu.

TaLin (Forest of Pagodas) where relics of respected senior monks are kept.

Shopping

Not your typical 'tourist spot', Luoyang does not boost of many shopping districts. However, it still has a major shopping area where you all find the hotels and shopping centers along the city district.

Many people believe in praying to Guan Gong, or the legendary general Guan Yu. You can find souveniers of Guan Gong easily in Luoyang, especially near Guanlin Temple.

Food

Mt. Songshan is definitely a place for vegetarian food enthusiasts. There is one whole stretch of restaurants along both sides of road leading to Shaolin.

However, it is hard to decify which are the better restaurants and even their names seems so similiar. Shaolin restaurant, Shaolin eatery, Top Shaolin restaurant etc. Do not get confused.

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