Luoyang

Luoyang(simplified Chinese:洛阳) is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.

Situated on the central plain of China, one of the cradles of the Chinese civilization, Luoyang was one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.

Names

The origin of the name "Luoyang" is the city's location to the north side ("yang") of the Luo River. The river flows from west to east and the sun is on south of the river, so that the sun shine is always on north side of the river. Luoyang has had several names over the centuries, including "Luoyi" (洛邑) and "Luozhou (洛州)", though Luoyang has been its primary name. It has been called, during various periods, "Dongdu" (东都, meaning the Eastern Capital, during the Tang Dynasty), "Xijing" (西京, meaning the West Capital, during the Song Dynasty), or "Jingluo" (京洛, meaning the general capital for China).

History

The greater Luoyang area has been sacred ground since the late Neolithic period. This area at the intersection of the Luo and Yi rivers was considered to be the geographical center ofChina. Because of this sacred aspect several cities, all of which are generally referred to as "Luoyang", have been built in this area. In 2070 BCE, the Xia Dynasty king Tai Kang moved the Xia capital to the intersection ofLuo riverandYi Riverand named the city Zhenxun (Chinese:斟鄩; pinyin:Zhēnxún). In 1600 BCE, King Tang of Shang defeated Jie, the final Xia Dynasty king, and built Western Bo (Chinese:西亳; pinyin:Xībó), a new capital on the Luo River. The ruins of Western Bo are located in Luoyang Prefecture.

In the 1136 BCE a settlement named Chengzhou (Chinese:成周) was constructed by the Duke of Zhou for the remnants of the captured Shang nobility. The Duke also moved the Nine Tripod Cauldrons to Chengzhou from the Zhou Dynasty capital at Haojing. A second Western Zhou capital, Wangcheng (also: Luoyi) was built 15 km west of Chengzhou. Wangcheng became the capital of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in 771 BCE. The Eastern Zhou Dynasty capital was moved to Chengzhou in 510 BCE. Later, the Eastern Han Dynasty capital of Luoyang would be built over Chengzhou. Modern Luoyang is built over the ruins of Wangcheng, which are still visible today at Wangcheng Park.

In 25 CE, Luoyang became the capital of Eastern Han Dynasty. For several centuries, Luoyang was the focal point ofChina. In AD 68, the White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist temple inChina, was founded in Luoyang. The temple still exists, though the architecture is of later origin, mainly from the 16th century. An Shigao was one of the first monks to popularize Buddhism in Luoyang.

In 166 CE the first Roman envoy(s) sent by "the king of Da Qin ［the Roman Empire］, Andun (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, r. 161-180 CE)", reached Luoyang after arriving by sea in Rinan Commandery in what is now centralVietnam.

The late 2nd century sawChinadecline into anarchy

"The decline was accelerated by the rebellion by the Yellow Turbans, who, although defeated by the Imperial troops in 184 CE, weakened the state to the point where there was a continuing series of rebellions degenerating into civil war, culminating in the burning of the Han capital of Luoyang on 24 September 189 CE. This was followed by a state of continual unrest and wars inChinauntil a modicum of stability returned in the 220s, but with the establishment of three separate kingdoms, rather than a unified empire."

In 190 CE, Chancellor Dong Zhuo ordered his soldiers to ransack, pillage and raze the city as he retreated from the coalition set up against him by regional lords from acrossChina. The court was subsequently moved to the more defensible western city of Chang'an. Following a period of disorder, Luoyang was restored to prominence when Emperor Wen of the Wei Dynasty declared it his capital in 220 CE. The Jin Dynasty, successor to Wei, was also established in Luoyang. When Jin was overrun by Xiongnu forces in 311 CE, it was forced to move its capital to Jiankang (modern day Nanjing), the Xiongnu warriors then sacked and nearly totally destroyed Luoyang. The same fate befell Chang'an in 316 CE.

In 493 CE the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital from Datong to Luoyang and started the construction of therock-cutLongmen Grottoes. More than 30,000 Buddhist statues from the time of this dynasty have been found in the caves. Many of these sculptures were two-faced. The Empress Dowager Wenming tomb and Yongning Temple (永宁寺), which had a pagoda nine stories high, were also built here.

During the Tang Dynasty, Luoyang wasDongdu(東都), the "Eastern Capital", and at its height had a population of around one million, second only to Chang'an, which, at the time, was the largest city in the world. During the short-lived Five Dynasties, Luoyang was the capital of the Later Liang, Later Tang, and Later Jin.

During the North Song Dynasty, Luoyang was the 'Western Capital' and birthplace of Zhao Kuangyin, the founder of Song Dynasty. It served as a prominent culture center, housing some of the most important philosophers.

Geography

With 6,549,486 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,500,000 in the built up area (6 urban districts), it's the third built up area of Henan region.

Climate

Culture

The Longmen Grottoes were listed by UNESCO in the list of World Heritage Sites in November 2000. White Horse Temple is located 12 km east of the modern town. Guanlin is a series of temples that were built in honor of Guan Yu, a hero of the Three Kingdoms period, close to the grottoes to the south of the city.China's only tombs museum, the Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum opened to the public in 1987 and is situated north of the modern town. Founded in 1958, the Luoyang Museum features ancient relics dating back to the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. The total number of exhibits on display is 1700.

Luoyang is also famous for the Water Banquet (Shui Xi), which consists of 8 cold and 16 warm dishes cooked in various broths, gravies or juices, hence its name.

Luoyanghas a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peony, the city flower of Luoyang.

An ancient Chinese musical piece,Spring in Luoyang, was adopted by Korea during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), and is still performed in its Koreanized (Dangak) version, calledNakyangchun(hangul:낙양춘; hanja:洛阳春). The American composer Lou Harrison also created an arrangement of this work.

The Dengfeng Observatory (also known as "The Tower of Chou Kong") stands 80 km south-east of Luoyang. It is a tower constructed during the Yuan Dynasty in 1276 by Guo Shoujing as a giant gnomon for the 'Measurement of the Sun's Shadow'. Used for establishing the Summer and Winter Solstices, this astronomical instrument is described in detail by Joseph Needham in his seminal workScience and Civilisation in China.