Luoyang is where Chinese history keeps surfacing. Thirteen dynasties planted capitals here, the Silk Road once ran to its gates, and two of the most extraordinary Buddhist sites in the country sit within an hour of the city center. I came for the Longmen Grottoes and stayed for the peonies, the night market, and the strange calm of a city that was the center of the world and is now a relaxed provincial town.
Luoyang Travel Guide: Grottoes, Peonies, and Shui Xi Soup
This guide covers the grottoes, the seasonal peony bloom, the food, and how to use Luoyang as a base for Henan’s deeper sights. If you are building a central China loop, Luoyang earns two or three nights.
The reason to come: Longmen Grottoes
The Longmen Grottoes are the headline and they justify the trip on their own. For about a kilometer along the Yi river, more than 100,000 Buddhist statues were carved into the limestone cliffs between the 5th and 9th centuries, from tiny niches to the 17-meter Vairocana Buddha whose face people travel across the country to see. I arrived late afternoon and the low sun hit the big Buddha’s features in a way that silenced the crowd for a moment.
Spend at least two hours. The west cliff is the dense one; the east side is quieter and gives you the classic across-the-river view. A bridge connects them. Wear shoes for walking and bring water; the path is exposed. A detail that stuck with me: the small niches are not random. They were sponsored by officials, merchants, and even foreign monks, and the inscriptions name them, a kind of stone resume carved into a cliff. Reading a few translations at the museum before the walk made the west cliff far more interesting.
Peony season and the old city
Luoyang calls itself the peony capital, and for about three weeks in mid-April the city explodes in blooms, especially at the Wangcheng Park and the International Peony Garden. I timed a visit to the tail of the season and still saw acres of them. If your dates are flexible, this is the one event worth planning around; our best time to visit China calendar flags April in the central plains for exactly this.
The old city (Luoyi) has been partly rebuilt as a pedestrian quarter with lanterns, noodle shops, and the Guanlin temple where the legendary general Guan Yu is honored. It is touristy but pleasant after dark. I ate my best meal of the trip there, a bowl of Luoyang’s signature broth noodles. Go on a weekday night if you can; weekends the lantern quarter gets loud and the food stalls queue.
Food: the broth that defines the city
Luoyang’s signature is “shui xi” (shui xi), a banquet of more than two dozen soup-based dishes served in sequence, sour and peppery, built around tofu, vegetables, and the occasional meat. It is an acquired rhythm but a real one. The simpler street version is “bufan tang” (bufan tang), a peppery broth with tofu sheets and noodles sold at night for a few yuan.
For the broader picture of how a single region eats, our guide to street food across China places Henan’s snacks in context. Luoyang’s versions are hearty and cheap; a full shui xi banquet for two runs 80 to 150 yuan at a decent house. The trick with shui xi is pacing: small bowls, eaten slowly, with a flatbread to soak the last of each soup. I tried to rush it like a normal dinner and was full by the eighth bowl with a dozen to go. Treat it as a long evening, not a meal.
Getting to and around Luoyang
High-speed trains reach Luoyang Longmen station from Xi’an in about an hour and a half and from Zhengzhou in under 40 minutes. Book through the official 12306 app; our primer on booking train tickets online covers the foreign-passport steps, and the broader China’s high-speed rail network is what makes Henan so easy to reach. The grottoes are a short taxi or bus from the station. The city center is modest and walkable for the old quarter.
One catch: Luoyang has two stations, Longmen (high-speed, south of town) and the older Luoyang station (central, slower trains). Most visitors want Longmen, but a cheap hotel near the old city may be closer to the central station, so check which you book against your hotel, not just the city name. The metro line 2 links them, but taxis are simpler with bags.
| Item | Detail | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Longmen Grottoes | West and east cliffs | ~90 yuan |
| Peony gardens | Mid-April peak | ~30 to 60 yuan |
| Train from Xi’an | High-speed | ~175 yuan, 1.5 hr |
| Shui xi banquet | Local soup feast | ~80 to 150 yuan for two |
| Bufan tang street bowl | Night snack | ~8 to 15 yuan |
| Mid-range hotel | Central | ~250 to 400 yuan |
Day trips beyond the city
The White Horse Temple, about 12 kilometers east, is said to be the first Buddhist temple in China, founded in the 1st century, and now includes a small cluster of foreign-style temple halls donated by India, Thailand, and Myanmar. The Shaolin Temple, birthplace of kung fu, is about 90 minutes away near Dengfeng and pairs well if martial arts interest you. I did White Horse as a half-day and saved Shaolin for a separate Henan loop.
White Horse is the sleeper hit. The Indian and Burmese halls at the back feel transplanted, and the contrast with the plain Han-style front court is the point: this is where the religion entered China. If your time is tight, White Horse over Shaolin; the kung fu shows at Shaolin are tourist-polished, while White Horse is quiet and old.
The Luoyang Museum and what to skip
If the grottoes leave you wanting the backstory, the Luoyang Museum (a short taxi from the old city) holds Tang tri-colour horses and a run of artefacts from the dynastic capitals, and it is free with ID. I spent an hour there and it reframed the grottoes: the same faces, in clay and bronze, that I had just seen in stone. Skip the big commercial peony “theme parks” outside town that charge for photo sets; the city gardens do the bloom for a tenth of the price.
The Luo river itself is worth an evening walk. A lit promenade runs along the bank near the old city, and at the right hour the lanterns from the quarter reflect on the water. I caught it by accident on the way back from dinner and it was a better close to the day than any paid show. Luoyang’s appeal is exactly this: low-key, historical, and cheap to enjoy if you are not chasing the headline sights every hour.
Where to stay and for how long
The old city (Luoyi) puts you steps from the night food and the lanterns, but it is a taxi ride from the grottoes and the high-speed station. The area near Longmen station is dull but convenient for the grottoes and the rail. I stayed in the old city and took a morning taxi to the grottoes, which worked: quiet streets at night, short hop to the cliffs at opening. Two nights covers the city and the grottoes; three lets you add White Horse or Shaolin at leisure.
Quick facts
- Province: Henan, central China, on the Luo river.
- Claim: ancient capital of 13 dynasties, Silk Road terminus.
- Headline sight: Longmen Grottoes, 100,000+ cliff statues.
- Season: mid-April peony bloom is the peak event.
- Food: shui xi soup banquet and bufan tang broth.
- Rail: 1.5 hr from Xi’an, 40 min from Zhengzhou (Longmen station).
- Two stations: Longmen (high-speed) and central Luoyang.
- Stay: 2 to 3 nights to cover grottoes and day trips.
FAQ
When is the best time to visit Luoyang?
Mid-April for peonies, or October for clear autumn weather and no crowds. Summer is hot; winter is cold but the grottoes are uncrowded and atmospheric.
How much time at the Longmen Grottoes?
Two hours minimum, three if you want both cliffs and the museum. I regret not giving it more; the detail in the small niches rewards slow looking.
Is the shui xi banquet worth it?
If you like soup and mild sour-pepper flavors, yes, once. It is a cultural experience more than a culinary high. The street bufan tang gives you the flavor for a tenth of the price.
Can I do Luoyang as a day trip from Xi’an?
You can, but it is a long day with travel on both ends. I recommend an overnight so you can see the grottoes in good light and catch the old city at night.
What else is near?
White Horse Temple (Buddhism’s first Chinese temple) and the Shaolin Temple are both reachable. Henan is dense with history; Luoyang is a good anchor.
Is English spoken?
Minimally. Carry a translation app and the Chinese names of sights. At the grottoes, an audio guide in English is available and worth renting.
How many days total?
Two nights for the city and grottoes, three if you add White Horse or Shaolin. Four if you want both day trips at leisure.
Which station should I book to?
Longmen, the high-speed station, for most visitors. The central Luoyang station is older and slower. Match your hotel to the station you pick.
If Henan is on your route, the next step is to lock the Xi’an-to-Luoyang train early and time your visit to the peony window if you can. Reach out through our contact page with dates and we can build a Luoyang grottoes-and-food plan around your rail booking.
Written by the ChinaTravelFood editorial team.
