Luoyang in Three Days: Longmen Grottoes, Luoyi Ancient City and Sui-Tang Palace City, 3 Days 2 Nights

We leave the old town at half past eight, cross the Luo River southward and reach Longmen in about twenty minutes. From November the site runs winter hours, opening at eight and closing the gate at five, an hour earlier than summer, so the morning cannot slide. The walk from the west service area to the ticket gate takes twenty minutes, or ten yuan on the shuttle. Inside, the west hill comes first, cave after cave from Binyang to Wanfo, ending at Fengxian Temple, where the Vairocana Buddha sits more than seventeen metres high and an ear is taller than a person. We cross the Yi River to the east bank and look back: the whole cliff is packed with niches. Back in town by dusk, the lanterns of Luoyi come on at half past six.

Attraction introduction: Longmen was cut from the Northern Wei onward, when Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang, and work continued through Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang and Song. More than 2,300 niches and some 100,000 figures remain, listed by UNESCO in 2000. The west hill holds the finest caves, with the 17.14 metre Vairocana Buddha flanked by two disciples, two bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings and two guardians. The east bank is the viewpoint for the whole cliff, and Xiangshan Temple and Bai Garden sit inside the same ticket.

Tips: The night tour at Longmen has been suspended since 1 November 2026, so the site is closed after dark and old itineraries that wait for sunset no longer work. Guests generally find the light turns oblique after three in the afternoon and the faces read more clearly, but the five o clock gate is a hard line. In practice, put Longmen in the first morning, when the crowd is thin and the light is straight, and keep the strength for the two evenings that follow.

No early start today. At ten we enter the Sui-Tang site, beginning with Mingtang and Tiantang. Mingtang is a protective shell over the excavation, and on its lower level the rammed earth and the great column base sit right under the floor, while the upper level rebuilds the throne hall. Tiantang shows five storeys outside and nine inside, with a lift to the top where the whole city spreads below. After lunch we cross to Yingtian Gate, whose triple gateway is wide enough to swallow a building. The light show on the north square is free, so a night view does not require a ticket. The evening goes to Jiuzhou Pond, one loop around the water with the reflections coming on.

Attraction introduction: The Sui-Tang Luoyang City National Heritage Park gathers Yingtian Gate, Mingtang, Tiantang and Jiuzhou Pond across the core of the palace city, rated AAAA in 2019. Yingtian Gate was begun in 605 as the southern gate of the palace, its double gallery and triple gateway reserved for the emperor. Mingtang stands 33.52 metres high and Tiantang 88 metres, both protective reconstructions over the original foundations, and Jiuzhou Pond is the imperial garden of the western side city, 288 mu of water drawn from the valley streams.

Tips: Bought separately the three sites cost 60, 90 and 30 yuan, while the combined ticket at 120 holds three days and allows three entries to each, so a daytime visit can be repeated after dark. Guests generally find the lights come on at seven, and the half hour before full darkness gives the best photographs. In practice, the regular parades stop on Mondays while the indoor ruins stay open, so avoid that day if the performances are the reason for coming.

We sleep late and go to Luoyi Ancient City, which behaves like two different streets. At night it is crowds, lanterns and rented robes; by day it is quiet enough to hear a broom on the flagstones. The Wenfeng Pagoda stands on the axis, nine brick storeys that make the neck ache when you look up. By the new pond the waterside pavilion takes guests for a bowl of bufan soup, facing the dressing shops where people change into Tang costume one layer at a time. At noon we walk to the crossroads of the old town for a bowl of beef soup, then transfer to Luoyang Longmen Station.

Attraction introduction: Luoyi Ancient City occupies the southeast corner of the old town, built around the Wenfeng Pagoda with the new pond and a surviving stretch of Jin and Yuan city wall. It is a free open historic district, entered by real name reservation. The pagoda is a close eaved brick tower of nine storeys, and the lanes hold craft workshops, costume studios and local snacks, with the water street lighting up after dark.

Tips: There is no admission fee, but the reservation is required and weekend quotas fill early. Guests generally find the crowd peaks the moment the lights come on at half past six, so empty frames mean coming by day or waiting until after nine. In practice, costume packages run from just over a hundred yuan to four or five hundred, so ask whether hair and photography are included before sitting down, or the bill will surprise you.