Luoyang,the Town of Peony(luoyang)
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Located in the western part of China’s central Henan Province,Luoyang is one of China’s seven ancient capitals.Comprised of six city districts and eight counties,Luoyang occupies an area of 15,492 square kilometers,with a total population of 6.16 million.1.4 million urban.Luoyangity proper covers an area of 544 square kilometers.
Today it’s hard to imagine that Luoyang was once the centre of the Chinese universe,the Eastern Capital of the great Tang dynasty and home to over 1,300 Buddhist temples.The city endured a sacking in the 12th century by Juchen invaders from which it never quite recovered.For centuries the city languished with only memories of greatness,its population dwindling to a mere 20,000 inhabitants by the 1920s. Now Luoyang resembles other fume-laden modern towns in China,with choking air pollution, roaring streets,ample concrete and scant evidence of a once-great city.
The greater Luoyang area has been a sacred ground since the late Neolithic period. This area at the intersection of the Luo and Yi rivers,called the Waste of Xia,was considered to be the geographical center of China.Because of this sacred aspect,several cites, all of which are generally referred to as”Luoyang”,have been built there.In 2070 BC,King Tai Kang of Xia Dynasty moved the Xia capital to the intersection of Luo river and Yi River and named the city Zhenxun(A).In 1600 BC,King Tang of Shang defeated Jie,the final king of Xia Dynasty,and built Western Bo(/),a new capital on the Luo River.The ruins of Western Bo are located in Luoyang Prefecture.
In 1136 BC a settlement named Chengzhou was constructed by the Duke of Zhou for the remnants of the captured Shang nobility.The Duke also moved the Nine Tripod Cauldrons to Chengzhou from the Zhou capital at Haojing.A second Western Zhou capital,Wangcheng was built 15 km west of Chengzhou.It became the capital of the Eastem Zhou Dynastv in 771 BC The Eastem Zhou capital was moved to Chengzhou in 510 BC-Later.the Han dynasty capital of Luovang would be built over Chengzhou.Ihe ruins of Chengzhou are still visible todav 2 kilometres east of the White Horse Temple area.Modern Luoyang is built over the rins of Wangcheng.which are still visible today at Wangcheng Park. In AD 25.Lnoyang became the capital of Eastem Han Dvnasty.For several centuries,Luoyang Was the focal point of China.
The late second century saw China decline into anarchy.The decline was accelerated by the rebellion by the Yellow Turbans.This was followed by a state of continual unrest and wars in China until a modicum of stability rerurmed in the 220s.but with the establishment of three separate kingdoms.rather than a unified empire. In AD 190.Chancellor Dong Zhuo ordered his soldiers to ransack,pillage and raze the city as he retreated from the coalition set up against him by regional lords from across China. The court was subsequently moved to the more defensible western city of Chang’an.Following a period of disorder.Luoyang was restored to prominence when Emperor Wen of the Wei Dynasty declared it his capital in AD 220.The Jin Dynasty,successor to Wei,was also established in Luoyang.When Jin was overrun by invaders and forced to move its capital to Jiankang :modern day Nanjing).Luoyang was nearly totally destroyed.In AD 493 the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital from Datong to Luoyang and started the construction of the rock-cut Longmen Grouoes.
During the Tang Dynasty,Luoyang was the “Eastern Capital”and at its height had a population of around one million,second only to Chang an.the “Western Capital”.and the largest city in the world.During the short-lived Five Dynasties.Luoyang was the capital of the Later Tang.After that period,Luoyang no longer served as capital of any subsequent dynasties.
