Luoyang (China)

The cradle of Chinese civilization and for a long time the economic and cultural center for the country, and even for the Asian continent, the city these days has hardly anything of interest to offer in itself, except perhaps for a few vestiges of its glorious past.

If Luoyang is a place worth visiting, however, it is primarily because of its close proximity to two remarkable sites: the White Horse Temples and the famous Longmen Grottoes. The first of these is no less than China's earliest Buddhist temple: it was founded in the 1st century AD and is still in use today. The second site, which is inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage, represents the very zenith of Buddhism-related Chinese art.

Luoyang is is also famous for its production of peonies. The flower serves as an emblem for the city and is celebrated each year in a special festival dedicated to it.