Things to do in Mengzhou

Teacher Zhou's professional explanations, both in detail and easy to understand, helped us understand the history of Baima Temple and its related Buddhist culture. It was a pity that two halls were under renovation, which we could only consider a minor disappointment, but it will serve as motivation for our next visit.

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.

The Gongyi Grottoes are located in a remote area. Bus route 66 in Gongyi County provides direct access. The sculptural style is characteristic of the late Northern Wei Dynasty. The Emperor and Empress Worshipping Buddha mural and the most beautiful flying apsaras are definitely worth the ticket price.

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.

We entered from the west gate first, visiting the West Hill Grottoes and getting close to the Vairocana Buddha. We skipped the evening lighting ceremony and arrived at 9 am to avoid the crowds and take better photos. Next, we visited the East Hill Grottoes. We rested and admired the sights at a leisurely pace, taking about 3-4 hours.

Luoyang has always been an ancient capital I admire, and upon visiting it, I was right. The ancient city boasts a rich cultural heritage, as evidenced by the Yingtian Gate ruins. The museum built on the ruins is ingeniously designed, offering the opportunity to see the relics and learn something new – a truly rewarding experience.

There was a slight unpleasantness with the merchant's customer service when making the reservation, as I had booked a guided tour of the Longmen Grottoes, but the merchant's page description was incorrect and I requested a refund, which they refused. I only got a refund after contacting the platform's customer service. Because of this unpleasant experience, I didn't have high expectations for the tour. However, once inside the museum, Mr. Pei's explanation was truly dedicated, and he was a very kind person; it was clear he genuinely loved the experience. Special praise! 👍 He made up for the merchant's shortcomings! 👍

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.

This park needs to be part of your itinerary when you plan a visit to luoyang as it gives you a good understanding of how the old city was constructed and gives you a feeling that you are back in ancient China..the show they perform here is a good way to round off the evening as I would highly recommend adding this to your itennary.o would suggest to at least give 4 hours if you are planning to attend the show as the park is wast