Adventures in China

The largest draw to Luoyang is Longmen Grottos. The grottos are about 15km outside of Luoyang and easily accessible. This carving is the most famous carving in the entire area, it is over 20 meters tall and the carving is said to bear the likeness of the Tang Dynasty Empress who funded the carving.

The grottos actually extend over a large area. This is me and my brother in front of a very dense section. Each recessed area has carvings of Buddhas. Some have a few figures and there is one recess with 10,000 images of Buddha in it.

Unfortunately, many of the heads have been stolen or destroyed on the carvings. No one is entirely sure if the destruction is from western treasure hunters, Japanese invaders, or the Cultural Revolution.

Despite all the destroyed figures, there are many interesting grottos. The signs sometimes give an indication of when the grotto was carved (most in the Western Wei and Tang Dynasties, 500-1000AD). This one still had the original paint visible on it.

If you enjoy seeing Buddhist history, Bai Ma Si is an absolute must-see. Bai Ma Si (White Horse Temple) is considered the first Buddhist temple in China and is still functioning as a temple. If you spend a little time, you can see the monks (in their sneakers) come to pray at one of the prayer halls.

Bai Ma Si has more tourists and bustle than Guanlin temple, but less than Shaolin. It is definitely calmer than life outside temple walls and an excellent place to sit and rest for a moment.

The largest draw of tourists to the area is during the Peony Festival. Luoyang is famous for it's peony growing climate and the peony is China's national flower. While I was skeptical, seeing peonies as big as your head is pretty cool.

The locals have a saying for the festival: "more people than flowers" and it is true. The festival has become more popular over time and the parks are very crowded, especially on weekends.

To avoid the city crowds, go 5km out of the city to the Peony Genes Bank. There are more flowers, their quality is better, and there are less people.