Luoyang: the ancient capital nobody visits (but everyone should)
Everyone goes to Xi'an for Terracotta Warriors and ancient history. Fair enough.But 1.5 hours away by high-speed rail is Luoyang, and it's criminally underrated.
Longmen Grottoes:
100,000+ Buddhist statues carved into cliffs over 1,400 years. Some are 17 meters tall. Others are tiny, intricate, hidden in caves. It's as impressive as anything in Xi'an but with 10% of the crowds.
White Horse Temple:
The FIRST Buddhist temple in China. Founded in 68 AD. It feels ancient in a way reconstructed temples don't. The Indian-style pagoda in the back is surreal.
The peonies:
If you go in April, the city is covered in peony festivals. Like, the entire city smells like flowers. It's magical.
The food:
Luoyang water banquet (水席) — a multi-course meal where every dish has soup or broth. Sounds weird, tastes incredible. Also: beef soup for breakfast. Heavy, rich, perfect.
Why it's empty:
No international airport. No direct high-speed rail from Beijing (you go via Zhengzhou). Not on any standard tour itinerary.
How to get there:
Fly to Zhengzhou, take the 40-minute HSR to Luoyang. Or do it as a day trip from Xi'an (1.5 hours by HSR).
Time needed: 1–2 days max. Perfect add-on to a Xi'an trip.
I went on a Tuesday. Saw maybe 20 other foreigners in 2 days. Compare that to Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors where you're elbow-to-elbow with tour groups.
Go before everyone else discovers it.
What's your most underrated China destination?
Page:
[1]