Luoyang and Dengfeng
Cave Buddhas, the Shaolin Temple and a kung fu class
Luoyang was the capital of thirteen dynasties, and the Longmen Grottoes are its monument: 2,300 caves and niches holding more than 100,000 Buddhist figures, carved into two limestone cliffs above the Yi river between 493 and 1127 AD. The largest Buddha at Fengxian is 17 meters tall.
Forty minutes away is the Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and of kung fu. The Pagoda Forest holds 240 brick stupas, and the training halls still run for the thousands of students who come to study wushu.
We can arrange a genuine beginner class in a nearby school — an hour with a master, not a tourist show — and time your visit for the peony festival in April if it suits.
Places to see in Luoyang and Dengfeng
The highlights we build into almost every Luoyang and Dengfeng itinerary. Your own list can be longer, shorter, or somewhere else entirely.
Longmen Grottoes
2,300 caves and 100,000 Buddhist figures cut into cliffs above the Yi river.
Fengxian Temple
Longmen's largest Buddha, 17 meters high, carved in 675 AD.
Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng
The birthplace of Chan Buddhism and of kung fu, founded in 495 AD.
Pagoda Forest
Two hundred and forty brick and stone stupas, the graves of Shaolin abbots.
White Horse Temple
The first Buddhist temple in China, founded in 68 AD.
Luoyang peonies
The city's peony festival fills the parks through April.
Guanlin
The temple-tomb of Guan Yu, the god of loyalty.
Luoyang Museum
The Han jade burial suit and the Tang tri-color horses.
Sui-Tang Luoyang Old City
The reconstructed grid of the medieval capital.
More places in China
Tell us what you want to see in Luoyang and Dengfeng
We do not publish fixed packages or prices, because almost nothing about a good trip to China is fixed. Send us your dates and interests and a specialist will design an itinerary around them — with a clear, itemized quotation.
- Your own English-speaking guide and private vehicle
- Hotels chosen for location, not for commission
- Tickets and permits booked on your behalf, including timed entries
- Free revisions until the trip is right
We reply to every inquiry within one business day.