Luoyang - Henan Province

The ancient town of Luoyang was the capital of succeeding dynasties, and home to 1,300 Buddhist temples, until the Northern Song dynasty moved their court to Kaifeng in the 10th Century. Two centuries later the town was sacked by Juchen invaders and Luoyang fell into a state of perpetual decline. This decline was halted by the communists who transformed the city into what you see today: an industrial city with faint reminders of a once glorious past.

Whilst the city does have its own appeal the major attractions lie just outside. The nearby White Horse Temple was founded in the 1st century and is worth seeing but the most important site is the Longmen Caves, where thousands of Buddha statues were carved into the rock face between 473 - 755AD. Many have since been damaged by antique collectors and during the Cultural Revolution but the overall impression is still one of amazement that the feat was accomplished in the first place.