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Guanlin Temple Guide

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Plan your Luoyang Tour? Guanlin Temple is not to be missed. Different from White Horse Temple, it is not a buddhist temple. Instead it is a temple dedicated to Guanyu (160AD-219AD), a famous general in later Eastern Han Dynasty (25AD- 220AD) and early Three Kingdoms period (220AD-280AD).

“Guan” refers to Guanyu himself; “Lin” here means “tomb”. “Guanyu Temple” means Guanyu’s tomb and temple, the only combined place of tomb and temple in China. Guanyu was a great general in Shu State of the Three Kingdoms period. The other two kingdoms were Wei State and Wu State.

Guanyu was loyal to his ruler, the king of Shu State, Liubei and fought bravely for his state of Shu against the State of Wu and the State of Wei. In a fierce battle at Jingzhou, he was captured and executed by Sunquan, the head of Wu State. He had Guanyu’s head cut off and sent it to Caocao, the ruler of Wei State. Caocao admired Guanyu

for his integrity, loyalty, bravery and wisdom. In Jan, 220, He ordered to built a tomb to commemorate Guanyu’s head placed on a wooden body. The burial site of Guanyu’s head is in the tomb behind temple area in Guanlin Temple.

The present temple structures before the tomb were built in 1512AD in Ming Dynasty (1368AD-1644AD) and further expanded in Qing Dynasty (1644AD-1911AD). So most of the halls and pavilions in the temple were built in Ming and Qing dynasties.

In history Guanyu had been favored bot by common people and emperors alike. Now today Guanyu enjoys even greater popularity and fame both at home and abroad. Guanyu is also respected and included by Buddhism and Taoism. So Guanyu has been deified and worshippped by people all over China and abroad. His deification is manifestied by the numerous Guandi Temple ( temple for Guanyu) around China, also could be found in the Chinese communities globally.

Why Guanyu? He embodys integrity, loyalty, bravery and wisdom, which are lacked in the modern people today! Next time don’t confuse a Guandi temple with a buddhist temple.

Guanlin Temple is located in the south of Luoyang city, about 7km from the city center. You take bus 55,58，69，15，39，71 and 81. The entrance fee is RMB 40. Opening time: 08:00 – 17:00.

The entrance to Guanlin Temple

The second second gate to the second yard which is dedicated to Guanyu

The holy way leading to the temple housing the statue of Guanyu

Burning incense and pray before the Guanlin Temple

Guanyu is also respected as a God of Wealth depicted by Taoism. This is a temple named “Wealth God Temple”.

Guanyu is also respected as a God of Wealth - The Wealth God Hall

The Tomb of Guanyu

Tags: Guanlin Temple, Guanlin Temple travel tips, How to visit Guanlin Temple
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Luoyang Museum Guide

Monday, March 12th, 2012

Plan your Luoyang Tour? Visiting Luoyang Museum is highly recommended. The location of Luoyang Museum has changed three times, originally built inside Guanlin Temple in 1958, and in 1970s moved to the city center of Luoyang and now located south of Luohe River in the southern Luoyang. The new Luoyang Museum was open to the public on April 1, 2011. Hope this museum guide will assist you making your short trip to Luoyang Museum.

You may take bus no 15, 37 or 62 to Luoyang Museum, or you may take a taxi. The museum lies just south of Luohe River which spans the city of Luoyang from east to west. The area surrounding the museum is quite clean and green. You don’t find anything commercial except a few mobile food stalls, selling bottled water, boiled corns, baked eggs and potatoes.

Add: Nietai Road, New District, Luoyang

Enquiry Phone: 0378 – 65791173

You don’t find anything commercial except a few mobile snack stalls

You don't find much commercial except a few mobile snack stalls.

The musuem building covers a construction area of 6,2000 square meters with 230m long, 140m wide. Its outlook resembles to a huge bronze vessel standing on the ground, implying the historical Accumulation of Chinese civilization.

Its outlook resembles to a huge bronze vessel

Luoyang Museum is free of charge. But you still need a ticket to enter the museum. So how? Go to a ticket office on the right side of the museum. Just ask for a ticket which is only available for a particular day. After taking your ticket, go back to the enctrance at the middle of the building. Please remember the opening dates are from Tuesday to Sunday with Monday closed. Its opening time is from 9:00 to 17:00 and ticket selling stops at 16:30.

The main entrance to Luoyang Museum

The first floor is dedicated to the basic exhibition depicting the Heluo Civilization (Luoyang’s history and culture). The second floor is mainly designed for 7 exhibition rooms for 7 themed exhibitions – Exhibition of Calligraphy and Painting, Exhibition of Ancient Treaure of Luoyang, Exhibition of pottery figurines of Han and Tang dynasties, Exhibition of tri-colored earthen wares of Tang Dynasty, Exhibition of Qing Imperial cultural relics and Exhibition of ancient fresco Art.

One Basic Exhibition (first floor) and 7 themed Exhibitions (second floor)

The spaciou lobby of Luoyang Museum

The first floor for Heluo Civilization (Luoyang’s hisory) is a must for fist time visitors. If you have enough time visiting Luoyang Museum, you are ecouraged to go to the second floor to visit other 7 themed exhibitions afer your have visited the first floor dedicated to the splendid history, the important history in China. The first and basic exhibition on the first is classified into several rooms telling the different stages of the Luoyang’s histoy from Pre-historical period to modern Luoyang today.

The city of Luoyang went through thirteen dynasties with 105 emperors starting Xia Dynasty (2070BC-1600BC), Shang Dynasty (1600BC-1046BC), Eastern Zhou Dynasty(770BC-256BC), Beiwei Dynasty (493AD-534AD), Sui Dynasty (605AD-619AD) and more with a history of over 4,000 years!

Below are some snaps I took on my recent tour of Luoyang Museum:

Palaeolithic (300,000BC – 10,000BC)

: Palaeolithic 1

Palaeolithic 2

Xia Dynasty (2027BC-1600BC)

Xia Dynasty 1

Xia Dynasty 2

Shang Dynasty (1600BC-1046BC)

Shang Dynasty 1

Shang Dynasty 2

Zhou Dynasty (1046BC-249BC)

Zhou Dynasty 1

Zhou Dynasty 2

Zhou Dynasty 3

Wei and Jin Dynasties (265AD-420AD)

Wei and Jin Dynasties 1

Sui And Tang Dynasties (581AD-907AD)

Sui And Tang Dynasties 1

Sui And Tang Dynasties 2

Northern Song Dynasty (960AD-117AD)

Northern Song Dynasty 1Northern Song Dynasty 2

Tags: How to visit Luoyang Museum, Luoyang Museum, Luoyang Museum Travel Tips
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Museum of Luoyang Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

Plan your travel to Luoyang? Museum of Luoyang Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits is worth a visit. The musuem is built over the sacrificial pit area for the emperors in Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770BC – 256BC) with its capital at the site of the present day Luoyang. The burial of the royal horse and chariots here in Luoyang is earlier than that of terra cotta warriors during Qin Dynasty (221–206 B.C.) in Xian.

The city of Luoyang went through thirteen dynasties and 105 emperors starting Xia Dynasty (2070BC-1600BC), Shang Dynasty (1600BC-1046BC), Eastern Zhou Dynasty(770BC-256BC), Beiwei Dynasty (493AD-534AD), Sui Dynasty (605AD-619AD) and more with a history of over 4,000 years! It should be deifinitely included in your Luoyang tour program.

The museum’s former English name is quite long while it is colloquially called “Tianzi Jialiu Museum”. “Tianzi” means emperors while “Jialiu” means their chariots driven by 6 horses. The dicovery of the Tianzi Jialiu Site has great impact on the Chinese archaeology and history. It is a proof that in the Zhou Dynasty, the emperors had 6 horses to drive their chariots; the vassals 5 horses; the ministers 4 horses; scholar-bureaucrats 3 horses; scholar-officials 2 horses and Common People 1 horse, a kind of strict etiquette formed in Zhou Dynasty, which had been only recorded in ancient books before it was discoved underground in 2002. So the number of the horses indicated the rank and identity of the nobles.

In 2002, the expansion construction of the Luohe Center Plaza stumbled upon the sacrificial site of the Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits. Its discovery immdediately arose the great attention of the local government. A special expert team was set up to access and study the site ending up with a detailed protection proposal. The construction expansion of Luohe Central Plaza was halted and a new museum was established. On October 01, 2003, the museum was open to the public. So the horse and chariots site has been there for over 2000 years!

Tianzi Jialiu Museum covers an area of 1,700 square meters. It is located underground centrally in the Dongzhou Wangcheng Square 王城广场 (Eastern Zhou Emperor City Square). The museum has three sections – One for the brief introduction of Eastern Zhou Dynasty; second for Eastern Dynasty Mausoleum the third for the pit itself.

So the Tianzi Jialiu Museum is located centrally in the city of Luoyang. It is walkable along the axis down south from Luoyang Railway Station. Many buses take you there including buses 6, 41, 50, 52, 56, and 86 and get off at Wangcheng Square (王城广场).

Entrance fees: RMB 30

Opening time:

9:00 – 17:00

Enquiry: 0379 – 6391399 – 8000

Luoyang Tourism Hotline: 0379 – 12301

The statue of th six horses is the symbol of the Wangcheng Square as well as the sign for the entrance to the undeground museum of Luoyang Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits.

The statue of th six horses above the ground.

Exhibition One: The brief introduction to Eastern Zhou Dynasty

The Eastern Zhou Dynasty began when King Ping moved his capital to Luoyi (today Luoyang) in BC770 and was destroyed by Qin state in BC 256 and lasted 515 years. Totally there were 25 kings ruled the Easern Zhou Dynasty, also called Spring and Autumn, and Warring States period in history books. Two cities in Luoyang area, named King City and Cheng Zhou City respectively, the became the capital of Easern Zhou Dynasty.

The layout of the kinf city in Eastern Zhou Dynasty and Timeline of Emperors in Eastern Zhou Dynasty

The layout of the kinf city in Eastern Zhou Dynasty

A model of the King City of Eastern Zhou Dynasty

Eastern Dynasty Mausoleum

Then move on to next section – Mausoleum Exploration. The tombs in this area (King city) is the important mausoleum in Eastern Zhou Dynasty. All the 25 kings were buired in Luoyang. Their mausoleums are located on three areas – King City, Chengzhou City and in the summit of Zhou Mountains.

Bronze Chime-Bells in Eastern Zhou Dynasty

In ancient China, the jade wares were revered and wildly used. It is said that a man of great honor is equal to a precious jade. In Eastern Zhou, nobles were asked to wear jades to keep diiferent form commom poeple. Many of the jase wears have been unearthed in Luoyang.