Wangcheng Park in Luoyang (洛阳王城公园, Royal City Park) covers an area of 37.5 hectares and was established in 1955. Its name originates from being situated atop the ruins of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty’s royal city. The park can be divided into four main areas: the peony viewing area, historical and cultural area, large-scale amusement area, and the zoo. It serves as the main venue for the Luoyang Peony Fair held annually. Additionally, it houses China’s northernmost South China tiger breeding base, with a population of 38 tigers, making it the zoo with the highest number of South China tigers in China and the world.
During the flowering season in April, many visitors flock to admire the peonies. Early blooming varieties begin around April 9th, with the peak bloom occurring around April 13th. Mid-blooming varieties start blooming around April 11th, reaching peak bloom around April 16th. Late-blooming varieties typically begin around April 17th, with peak bloom around April 21st.
Table of Contents
- Basic Information
- Location and Transportation
- Highlights of Wangcheng Park
- Vlog about Wangcheng Park
- Other Peony Gardens in Luoyang
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | 2 – 3 hours |
| Ticket Price | Free on normal days 30 RMB on weekends during the Peony Fair 20 RMB in weekdays during the Peony Fair 15 RMB for the Zoo |
| Opening Hours | 7.00 – 19.00; Last admission: 18.00 |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0379-63938545 |
Location and Transportation
Wangcheng Park is situated at 312 Zhongzhou Middle Road, Xigong District, Luoyang City, Henan Province, China. To get there, you can choose one of the following ways:
Bus: Take bus 9, 10, 11, 15, 19, 32, 40, 50, 99, 101, 103, or 202 and get off at Wangcheng Park Stop (王城公园站)
Metro: The closest metro station to the park is Wancheng Park (王城公园) on line 1. After getting out of the station from Exit C2, walk about 100 meters to the west to reach the entrance.
Highlights of Wangcheng Park
Incense Tower
The Incense Tower stands as one of the main attractions in Wangcheng Park, boasting a construction area of over 800 square meters. Supported by 42 columns, this three-story ancient-style building is the tallest and most exquisitely decorated structure in Luoyang. The entire building is adorned with intricate carvings and paintings, featuring grand eaves and arches that blend seamlessly with the garden’s pavilions, terraces, and other architectural elements. Surrounding the tower is a large peony terrace formed by geometric patterns, hosting 83 precious peony varieties such as Yao Huang, Wei Zi, Dou Lv, and Lan Tian Yu, totaling over 1,800 plants, complementing the grandeur of the Incense Tower.
He Tu Luo Shu Stele
The He Tu Luo Shu Stele is based on the legend of “The Yellow River Chart and the Luo River Book” and was created by the sculptor Mr. Gongdiansheng. According to legend, in ancient times, a mythical creature known as the Dragon Horse, with the head of a horse and the body of a dragon, emerged from the Yellow River, carrying the River Chart on its back. Fuxi, the legendary Chinese emperor, deduced the Eight Trigrams based on the River Chart. During the reign of Yu the Great, while controlling the flooding of the Luo River, he encountered a divine turtle carrying a jade tablet inscribed with the Luo Book. From the Luo Book, Yu the Great extracted nine principles for governing the world, successfully subduing the floods and dividing the world into nine regions. The “He Tu Luo Shu” is believed to be one of the earliest historical documents of the Chinese nation, representing the highest achievement of ancient Chinese spiritual thought. The dragons, phoenixes, bears, and sheep standing at the corners of the He Tu Luo Shu Stele represent the evolution of ancient Chinese totemism, symbolizing the faithful guardianship of the descendants of the Yan and Huang emperors over Chinese civilization.
Shao Yue Terrace
Shao Yue Terrace serves as the main architectural feature in the Western Zhou Cultural Area of Wangcheng Park. It is constructed in the style of the Zhou Dynasty’s philosophy of “building beautiful pavilions and palaces.” The bottom walls of Shao Yue Terrace’s east, west, and south sides are embedded with black lines depicting more than thirty historical events related to Luoyang that occurred between 770 BC and 221 BC. The upper part of Shao Yue Terrace houses the “Four Arches House,” a commemorative building from the Zhou Dynasty. Inside, musical instruments such as chime bells and bianqing are displayed, periodically playing ancient Shao music. The entire structure exudes grandeur and embodies the profound charm of the pre-Qin era. The “Bell Sound of the Music Terrace” is one of the classic attractions of Wangcheng Park.
Peony Viewing Area
Situated in the central area of the park, the Peony Viewing Area comprises six viewing points: Peony Fairy Altar, Empress Wu’s Flower Viewing Altar, Peony Pavilion, Purple Speckled Peony Garden, Rare Peonies, and the North Bridge Peony Garden. Spanning an area of 50,000 square meters, it boasts over 50,000 peony plants of 680 varieties. The Peony Viewing Area showcases outstanding peony varieties from both China and abroad, including black, pink, red, purple, white, blue, green, and multicolored varieties, creating a vibrant spectacle. Renowned varieties such as Yao Huang, Wei Zi, Dou Lv, Yan Rong Zi, Er Qiao, Luoyang Hong, Zhao Fen, and Ge Jin Zi make this area the main venue and focal point of the Luoyang Peony Fair.
The Zoo
Wangcheng Park’s Zoo, the only zoo in the western part of Henan Province, is home to 101 species and 1,372 individuals of wild animals. Among them are 62 species of national first and second-class protected wildlife, including giant pandas, South China tigers, Northeast tigers, leopards, black bears, brown bears, and red-crowned cranes. Additionally, there are rare foreign animals such as African elephants, white rhinos, chimpanzees, and kangaroos. As of April 2015, the zoo has successfully bred a total of 30 South China tigers, some of which have been exchanged with other city zoos. Currently, the zoo is home to 23 South China tigers, ranking first in China and the world.
