Luoyang History

Luoyang is famous as the ancient capital of nine dynasties. From the first dynasty in China, the Xia dynasty, Luoyang served as capital for 13 dynasties (including the Shang, Western Zhou, Eastern Han, Western Jin, Northern Wei, Sui, and Tang dynasties). It has served as a capital for more than 1500 years and, among the 7 great ancient capitals in China, it served as capital for the most people and for the longest time.

The original city of Luoyang was constructed in the 12th century BC as a settlement for the remnants of the Shang nobility. In 770 BC, it became the capital of the Zhou Dynasty but it was destroyed in the civil war of 510 BC and rebuilt the next year at the request of the emperor

In AD 25 of the Eastern Han Dynasty Luoyang became the capital and for several centuries thereafter, Luoyang was at the centre of Chinese affairs. The famous White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist temple in China, was founded in Luoyang in AD 68. After many years, the temple still exists, however it has been extensiely renovated and the architecture as it stands today dates mainily from the 16th century. Nowadays, Luoyang is regarded as one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. The Yellow River and the Luo River have witnessed huge changes in Luoyang city and the great advancement of civilization. It was here that Buddhism was first introduced as was the Li School, a Confucian school of idealist philosophy from the Song and Ming Dynasty periods.