Luoyang Museum – Ticket, Opening Hours, Location, and Highlights

The “Heluo Civilization Exhibition” is the museum’s flagship display, covering an expansive area of over 5,000 square meters. It showcases artifacts spanning various categories such as stone tools, jade objects, pottery, bronze ware, ironware, porcelain, and bone artifacts. Chronologically organized into five periods including the prehistoric era, Xia-Shang-Zhou period, Han-Wei period, Sui-Tang period, and the Five Dynasties-Northern Song period, the exhibition centers around the ancient capitals of Luoyang throughout history. It features significant historical events, landmarks, influential figures, and technological innovations, presenting a comprehensive overview of Luoyang’s illustrious past as a capital city during thirteen dynasties. This exhibition emphasizes the unique historical significance of the “Helo Civilization” as a symbol of Chinese civilization.

The “Tang Dynasty Tri-color Glazed Pottery Gallery” showcases the famed Tang tri-color glazed pottery, which originated and flourished in the two capital cities of the Tang Dynasty. Discovered primarily in the Tang tombs at Mangshan in Luoyang during the early 20th century, Tang tri-color pottery is distinguished by its vibrant hues of yellow, green, and white glazes. Innovatively developed on the foundation of monochrome low-temperature glazed pottery from the Han and Wei dynasties, Tang tri-color pottery exhibits exquisite craftsmanship and dazzling artistic effects, representing a unique style within Tang ceramic art. Luoyang’s Tang tri-color pottery, crafted from high-quality kaolin clay, boasts fine texture, diverse shapes, and brilliant glazes, marking the pinnacle of multi-colored glazed pottery in China. Predominantly unearthed around the Sui-Tang Luoyang city area, these Tang tri-color artifacts, serving mainly as burial objects, vividly depict the prosperous and vibrant social life of Luoyang during the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, reflecting an era characterized by vitality, openness, and diversity.

Luoyang, nestled amidst mountains and rivers, has been hailed as a land of eminence and regal splendor, hosting the capitals of thirteen dynasties over a span of more than 1500 years. Flourishing in arts and culture, this ancient city has amassed countless treasures, both above and below ground. These treasures, akin to precious gems, embody the creativity and aesthetic consciousness nurtured within the ancient Eastern cultural context, encapsulating a rich tapestry of historical memories and reflecting the resplendence of Luoyang, the imperial capital, over millennia. To showcase the magnificence of these treasures, the museum has curated the “Luoyang Cultural Relics and Treasures Exhibition,” selecting a selection of exquisite artifacts from the hundreds of thousands stored in Luoyang’s repositories. Through this exhibition, it hopes to offer visitors a glimpse into the profound historical and cultural heritage of the ancient capital of Luoyang, allowing them to hear the echoes of the millennia-long evolution of Chinese civilization.

Established in 1973 under the auspices of Premier Zhou Enlai, the Imperial Court Relics Gallery of the Luoyang Museum was endowed with artifacts transferred from the Forbidden City in Beijing. Originally housed in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, these relics primarily consist of tributary items from across the Qing Dynasty empire. Categorized into two main types, the collection comprises primarily of court Buddhist artifacts, including various Buddha statues, altars, ritual objects, and utensils, alongside courtly life objects such as furniture, decorative screens, paintings, and ceramics. The materials used range from gold, silver, bronze, and jade to mother-of-pearl, glass, ivory, and lacquer, showcasing a diverse array of craftsmanship and techniques. The exhibition is divided into four sections: “Three Worlds and Many Buddhas,” “The Founding Master of Tibetan Buddhism – Tsongkhapa, the Ancestors of Zen – Bodhidharma, and Many Buddhas,” “Court Furniture and Home Decor,” each presenting a diverse array of artifacts characterized by exquisite craftsmanship and significant artistic value, representing the pinnacle of courtly Buddhist and household artifacts.

Terracotta warriors were funerary objects used in ancient times to accompany the deceased in the afterlife, ensuring that they could continue their earthly lifestyle in the netherworld. This custom, known as the burial of living beings with the dead, originated from the practice of human sacrifice during ancient times, which reached its peak during the Shang Dynasty. However, with the development of productivity and societal transformation during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, the practice of human sacrifice faced condemnation from society and was eventually prohibited by law. Nevertheless, the concept of treating death similarly to life remained deeply ingrained, leading people to seek alternatives to human sacrifice. Thus, the use of terracotta figures gradually became widespread, evolving into a systematic burial practice. The exhibition showcases over 200 Han and Tang terracotta figures from Luoyang, highlighting the simplicity and rusticity of Han figures, the restraint and rigidity of Jin figures, the elegance and clarity of Northern Wei terracotta figures, and the nobility and splendor of Tang figures. This collection not only outlines the development of ancient sculpture art but also provides invaluable material evidence for understanding the history of ancient Chinese sculpture art.

The tradition of stone carving statues in Luoyang spans from the Eastern Han Dynasty and Northern Wei Dynasty to the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Stone carvings depict various subjects, including sculptures, Buddhist images, steles, decorative patterns, and mythological stories. Carved primarily from bluestone, Han white marble, and sandstone, these sculptures emphasize the main features of human figures and animals, sometimes exaggerating expressions or portraying them with exquisite detail and vigor. Despite their diverse styles, the sculptures exhibit harmonious proportions, vivid vitality, and expressive freedom. The exhibition is divided into three sections: tombstone carvings, religious stone carvings, and architectural and miscellaneous stone carvings.

Luoyang Ancient Tomb Museum

Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital

Emperor Carriage Museum