Longmen Grottoes

World Cultural Heritage Site and China‘s Treasure House for Stone - Carving Arts

Longmen Grottoes, one of China’s three bestknown grottoes, started over 1,500 years ago and lasted around 400 years. Presently, the Longmen Grottoes stretch around one kilometer from north to south. They are made up of more than 2,300 niches, over 100,000 sculptures and upwards of 2,800 stelae. Additionally, it is home to the worldrenowned sculpture of Locana Buddha, which has been modeled in the semblance of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. This grandiose sculpture reflects the mastery in sculpting art that the Chinese people had achieved during the heyday of Tang Dynasty.

Yique Valley, six kilometers south of Luoyang.

White Horse Temple

China‘s First Buddhist Temple

The White Horse Temple was built in 68 A.D. As the first government-built temple since the introduction of Buddhism into China, it is hailed as the ancestral temple and the wellspring of Buddhism in China. On the left and right side of the entrance to the temple stand two stone horses, which are outstanding sculptures dating back to the Song Dynasty.

Baimasi （White Horse Temple） Township, Luolong District, Luoyang, near the 310 State Highway.

Relics of Dingding Gate

The Eastern Starting Point of Silk Road

Luoyang was the political, economic and cultural center of China from the 7th to 10th centuries （Sui and Tang dynasties）. Situated in the southern section of the ancient Luoyang City, the Dingding Gate Relics include the relics of the city gate and its surrounding neighborhood, the major entrance to Luoyang and the eastern starting point of the Silk Road, and landmarks bearing witness to the prosperous trade along the ancient trade route. These relics speak volumes about the level of Chinese civilization in its prime time, emblematic of the features and influence of the ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty.

Near the intersection of the Dingding Road and the Zhongzhou Road in the old urban areas of Luoyang.

Lijing Gate

Main Gate of Ancient Luoyang

Built around 1,400 years ago, Lijing Gate serves as the west gate of the old city of Luoyang. As a key landmark of Luoyang, Lijing Gate is celebrated as the “preeminent tower in the Central Plain and primary gate of Luoyang”. It features an embrasured watchtower, a gate tower and an inner fortification surrounded by a moat. This finely structured gate aptly represents the city gates in Chinese history. It boasts towering walls and formidable fortifications, which give visitors a feel of the ancient city of Luoyang in the imperial age.

Xiguan, old urban quarters of Luoyang.

Relics of Hangu Pass of Han Dynasty

Ancient Military Fortress and Hub for People-to-People Exchange

As one of the most important fortresses in ancient China, the Hangu Pass, first built in 114 B.C. （Han Dynasty）, served as the east end gateway of the Silk Road. It is now a key historical and cultural relic at the provincial level. It consists of the relics of the fortress tower, the fortress wall made of rammed earth, the portal arch and the ancient road with a total length of around 400 meters.

East of Xin’an County, Luoyang.

Guo State Museum

Witnessing Charm of Western Zhou Dynasty

Guo State Museum is a thematic museum located within the premises of Guo State cemetery from Western Zhou Dynasty （1046 B.C. to 771 B.C.）. At the museum, tourists can appreciate exquisite artifacts unearthed from the cemetery as well as the tomb of a venerated monarch. Tourists can also walk into an underground battle array of real chariots and horses. Built almost 2,800 years ago, this array is the earliest and largest of its kind in China.

Liufeng North Road, Sanmenxia.

Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient Road

A Thoroughfare of Silk Road

Xiaohan Ancient Road was the key pathway between Chang’an and Luoyang, western and eastern capitals of the Han and Tang dynasties, facilitating the traffic along the Silk Road. Built in the 2nd century B.C., it remained open to traffic until the 20th century. Shihao Section is the best preserved part along the route, featuring the road surface made of limestone, water storage facilities by the roadside and chisel marks. Cartwheels’ tracks and animal hoof prints left in ancient times persist till today.

Among the Xiaoshan Mountain, on the southern bank of the Yellow River （Sanmenxia Section）.

Kongxiang Temple in Sanmenxia

Holy Land of Zen Buddhists

The 1,900-year-old Kongxiang Temple in Sanmenxia was built around the time when Buddhism was introduced to the Shan Prefecture. It came to life in the same period as China’s first ancient temple, the White Horse Temple. Kongxiang Temple is also the burial ground of Bodhidharma, the ancestor of Zen Buddhists. It is best known for the story of Bodhidharma sacrificing his life for the truth and founding the Zen sect of Buddhism.

Foothill of Xiong’er Mountain, Xilicun Township, Shan County.

Yellow River Scenic Area

National Scenic Area and National Water Scenic Area

As the demarcation of the middle and lower reaches of Yellow River, Yellow River Scenic Area marks the end of the Loess Plateau and the start of Northern China Plains, where Yellow River, as a treacherous length of surging muddy water hanging above the ground, is in plain view. The scenic area extends 7 kilometers from west to east and 6 kilometers from north to south. Boasting scenic spots such as Square of Emperors Yan and Huang, Five-Dragon Peak, Camel Crest, Yueshan Temple and Xinghai Lake, the scenic area is known as a brilliant pearl along Yellow River.

20 kilometers northwest of Zhengzhou.

Xiaolangdi Scenic Area

National Water Scenic Area and China’s Top Ecotourism Area

With a total area of around 1262 square kilometers and water area reaching over 300 square kilometers, Xiaolangdi Scenic Area can be divided into 4 parts, namely Xiaolangdi Dam, Jingzi Mountain, Bali Gorge and Sanmenxia Dam, including 13 scenic sections and 113 scenic spots. It is based on mountains and lake, featuring water control projects in the mid-lower reaches of the Yellow River, grand gorges and rivers, through which, a vivid picture of civilization and natural landscapes along the Yellow River can be offered to those visitors who want to take on a holiday trip for leisure. Each year, water sediment regulation get started from June to July, on the occasion of which, visitors can stand good chance of viewing grand waterfall.

40 kilometers away from south of Luoyang, and around 30 kilometers away from north of Jiyuan.

Yellow River Three Gorges

World Geopark and National Water Scenic Area

The Yellow River Three Gorges is the highlight of Xiaolangdi Scenic Area, with each gorge characterized by distinctive topography and a combination of precipitous cliffs, deep and zigzagging gorges, towering mountains, coves and elevated lakes. Scaling atop Dahe （Great River） Tower, known as “the top-ranking structure along the great Yellow River”, visitors can enjoy a view of the waterscape extending to the horizon lined with lush mountains. Meanwhile, boating in pristine waters is truly a celestial experience.

20 kilometers upstream of Xiaolangdi Dam, an hour’s drive from the urban areas of Luoyang. Location:Inside the ecological zone between the eastern and western halves of Sanmenxia City. Location: Liuyuankou, southern bank of the Yellow River, 10 kilomet

Swan Lake National Wetland Park

National 4A-level Tourist Attraction

Swan Lake National Wetland Park is a natural scenic zone known for its unique ecology, cultural patrimony and topography. From late October until next March, thousands of white swans would migrate to the lake inside the wetland park and make it their home for winter. Snow-white swans, rippling turquoise water and idyllic loess hills reflect the harmonious coexistence of man and nature in this area. Hence, Sanmenxia is also known as “Swan City”.

Inside the ecological zone between the eastern and western halves of Sanmenxia City

Suspended River at Kaifeng

Natural Wonder

As the drop of the Yellow River dramatically decreases after it surges out of the Mangshan Mountain around Zhengzhou and reaches the Central Plains, huge amounts of sediments deposit in the riverbed, which rises 7 to 8 meters （10 meters at the highest point） above the ground. The Yellow River, sandwiched between the embankments, surges forward through the highland to the north of Kaifeng, like a roaring sky river.

Liuyuankou, southern bank of the Yellow River, 10 kilometers north of Kaifeng.

Yellow River’s Old Watercourse in Shangqiu

North China‘s Watertown and Ecological Park

The Yellow River’s Old Watercourse in Shangqiu has a perfectly preserved embankment. It is 134 kilometers in length and 10-13 meters in height, with a bottom width of 100 meters. The magnificent embankment is lauded as “The Great Wall along the Riverside”. As light breeze stirs the reservoir and the water glistens with sunlight, ducks chase each other, fish swim animatedly and waterfowl fly gracefully, together presenting a heavenly scene. Such unique scenery has made the Yellow River’s Old Watercourse in Shangqiu gain the fame of being “North China‘s Watertown”.

Four districts （counties） of Minquan, Ningling, Liangyuan and Yucheng in Shangqiu.

Kungfu Tours

EXPLORING CIVILIZATION OF YELLOW RIVER & SILK ROAD

RELICS OF SILK ROAD 丨 TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ALONG YELLOW RIVER

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RELICS OF SILK ROAD

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TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ALONG YELLOW RIVER