Current Time in Luoyang, China

Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan Province in central China, located in the Yi-Luo River valley where it opens onto the Yellow River plain. With a population of approximately 6.9 million people in the prefecture, Luoyang holds one of the most exceptional historical pedigrees of any city in China, having served as the imperial capital of thirteen successive dynasties over a period spanning more than three thousand years.

Few cities on earth can claim a history comparable to Luoyang's. It was the capital of the Eastern Zhou, Eastern Han, Cao Wei, Western Jin, Northern Wei, Sui, Tang, and other dynasties, making it one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China alongside Xi'an, Beijing, and Nanjing. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Luoyang was one of the largest cities in the world, and it was in Luoyang that Buddhism first established a major foothold in China with the founding of the White Horse Temple, traditionally considered the first Buddhist temple built in China, in 68 AD.

The Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Yi River just south of the city, represent one of the greatest treasures of Chinese and Buddhist art. Carved into limestone cliffs over a period stretching from the Northern Wei to Tang Dynasty, the grottoes contain over 100,000 Buddhist stone statues and carvings of extraordinary artistry and variety, including the massive Fengxian Temple statues dominated by the serene 17-meter-high image of the Vairocana Buddha commissioned by the Tang Empress Wu Zetian.

Luoyang is synonymous throughout China with peonies, the official city flower and a floral emblem of China itself. Luoyang's peony cultivation tradition stretches back over a thousand years to the Tang Dynasty, when the city's peonies were regarded as the finest in the empire. The National Peony Garden and numerous parks throughout the city burst into a spectacular riot of color each spring during the annual Luoyang Peony Festival, one of China's most celebrated floral events, drawing millions of visitors.

The Luoyang Museum and the Henan Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum display extraordinary collections of artifacts from the dynasties that called this city their capital, including Han Dynasty bronze vessels, Tang Dynasty tomb figurines, and Buddhist sculpture.

Transportation includes expressways connecting Luoyang to Zhengzhou and Xi'an, and the high-speed rail network provides rapid connections to Beijing and other major cities.

Luoyang's incomparable historical depth, magnificent Buddhist art at the Longmen Grottoes, glorious peony culture, and central position in Chinese civilization make it one of the most rewarding historical destinations in all of China.