洛阳

Luoyang is generally counted as the capital of thirteen Chinese dynasties, more than any other city in the country, spanning roughly from the Eastern Zhou through the Later Tang — a run of nearly two thousand years on and off at the center of Chinese political power. That depth of history is easy to say and hard to picture, but Luoyang has the physical evidence to back it up in a way few other former capitals do.

The Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site just south of the city, hold more than 100,000 Buddhist statues carved into limestone cliffs along the Yi River over roughly 400 years, starting in the late 5th century — one of the three great Buddhist grotto sites in China, and the one most people find the most visually overwhelming in person. White Horse Temple, just east of the city center, is traditionally dated to 68 AD and is widely regarded as the first officially sanctioned Buddhist temple built on Chinese soil, making it a kind of starting point for the religion's entire history in the country. Every April, the city also turns into China's unofficial peony capital, with the Luoyang Peony Festival drawing huge crowds to see the flower the city has been associated with since the Tang Dynasty.

Luoyang is also the closest major city to Shaolin Temple — about 50km away, noticeably closer than from Zhengzhou — making it a practical, and more interesting, base for a Shaolin day trip than the provincial capital most travelers default to. Spring (March–May) brings the peony season and mild temperatures; autumn (September–November) is quieter and just as comfortable. Two to three days covers Longmen, White Horse Temple, and a Shaolin side trip without feeling rushed.