Over the centuries, Luoyang of Henan province has been called many things: Chengzhou, Luoyi, Luozhou, Dongdu, Xijing and Jingluo; but is less formally known as the City of Peony or the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. Name changes and claims to fame aside, today's Luoyang is an important industrial and cultural center with a population of around 6.5 million.

The city is located to the west of Zhengzhou, China's transportation hub, which makes getting there a breeze; however, finding reasons to stay can be a little more difficult as Luoyang's tourism appeal has been marred by problems with pollution. To the local government's credit, efforts have been made which have significantly reduced the year on year pollution levels, to such and extent that Luoyang has found itself on the travel itinerary of more and more tourists.
 

In the 11th century BC, the Duke of Zhou established the town and named it Chengzhou; it became a sort of refugee camp for remnants of the defeated Shang peoples. The city would later become the capital of the Zhou Dynasty, an honor which would last a little over 200 years, until it was destroyed by civil war. It was rebuilt the following year.

It was later named as capital of both the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Wei Dynasty and ransacked frequently. All that set up their capitals in Luoyang were eventually defeated or forced to move to more defendable locations around China.

Luoyang has good weather most of the year: spring and autumn are the best times to visit. Summer temperatures average around 33°C (91°F). If you plan a winter visit, expect temperatures around freezing point.