Things to do in Mengzhou

A magnificent temple complex!It’s so beautiful that I enjoyed visiting even in the rain. You can find Buddhist temples inspired by different countries, including China, Thailand, India and Myanmar.It is known as the first Buddhist temple in China and is a place of great spiritual significance.Beyond its religious importance, it’s also a wonderful place to stroll around and take photos.The Thai section is absolutely incredible! For a moment, you almost feel as if you’re in Bangkok.Highly recommended if you’re visiting Luoyang!

Very good. Worth seeing. The ticket price of 50 yuan is reasonable. The brick and wood carvings are exquisite, and the houses tell many stories, spanning the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods. There are many makeshift parking spots along the roadside, used for soliciting passengers; hopefully, this will be addressed.

Speechless with beauty, these statues allow you to truly touch the stone marks from over a thousand years ago. The inscriptions bear the reign titles of the Eastern and Western Wei dynasties and Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi), making you realize you are witnessing the traces of lives from a distant past. Just looking isn't enough; listening to the explanation is best. I found a video online and listened while walking, noticing many details – kudos! It's a bit far from the city center, but there are buses; it takes about half an hour to get back to the train station. You can also take a ride-hailing service.

A guided tour is a must. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and present information clearly. Highly recommended. For exploring the origins of Chinese dynasties, museum artifacts provide powerful physical evidence, offering more than just a few words in ancient texts.

The hotel is conveniently located, the rooms are clean and tidy, the bedding is comfortable, the front desk service is warm and attentive, and the facilities are complete. The stay was excellent, and the hotel is great value for money. I would choose this hotel again for my next trip.

The night view of Yingtianmen is beautiful. Walking from Yingtianmen to the platform, you can see the Mingtang and Tiantang (Heavenly Hall) opposite, as if witnessing the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty. There are many places to take traditional Chinese style photos in the Yingtianmen scenic area square; those who want to capture a memorable moment can try it out.

From Yuntaishan, we boarded a bus bound for Luoyang. The journey was long — more than four hours on the road. We left at 2:30 pm and only arrived close to 7:00 pm, which meant our first day in Luoyang was largely consumed by travel. That evening, drained from the ride, I managed only a brief visit to Yingtianmen, illuminated against the night sky.The following day was devoted entirely to two of Luoyang’s most iconic sites: the Longmen Grottoes and the White Horse Temple. After exploring the temple, we caught bus no. 58 directly to Luoyi Ancient City. By then, the hours of walking through grottoes and temple grounds had left us physically exhausted. Still, the ancient city welcomed us with free admission and a promise of cultural immersion.Dinner was taken at a basement food court along Minzhu Street. By the time we finished, night had fallen, and Luoyi Ancient City had transformed. The streets glittered with lanterns, music pulsed through the air, and the atmosphere was electric. Crowds gathered near the lake to watch 天女散花 — the “Fairy Scattering Flowers” dance performance — though we chose not to linger.Luoyi Ancient City (洛邑古城) remains one of China’s most authentic living historic districts. Here, 3,000 years of dynastic history — from the Zhou to the Ming — can still be felt in its preserved city walls, pagodas, canals, and performances. It is not simply a relic of the past, but a vibrant cultural stage where history and daily life coexist.

The ruins of Luoyang City during the Sui and Tang Dynasties are located in the suburbs of Luoyang City. Construction began during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, and its layout was modeled after the Sui Dynasty's Daxing City. At that time, it was known as the Eastern Capital or Tokyo. It served through the Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, and Northern Song Dynasties, lasting for over 500 years, acting as the Eastern Capital of the Sui and Tang Dynasties and the Western Capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, the palace city, imperial city, and outer city were built successively. Five wards were established south of the outer city, and three more were opened to the northeast. In the second year of the Qianfeng era of Emperor Gaozong of Tang (667 AD), the Yang Palace was built southwest of the imperial city.

The night view is beautiful. There were performances during the National Day holiday, and the overall experience was quite engaging. However, it's a modern imitation of ancient architecture, lacking a sense of history. There were also too many commercial photo shoots, all depicting Wu Zetian's coronation. Traffic outside was heavy, with many people, electric bikes, and tricycles, making it rather chaotic. I wouldn't recommend driving; taking the subway is safer.