Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang

wow wow wow I loved Luoyang, didn't expect it to be so exciting city. Apart from Longmen Grottoes you should visit old city centre too, it is one of the ancient city centres which preserved its atmosphere and didnt suffer much from reconstruction. Prices on street are comparatively cheap than other tourist destinations, as well as you can find some interesting and unique snacks and gifts which would be rare to find in other parts of China. Take a long relaxed evening walk here. recommend you to try fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. Later on try local newly baked bread from one of home shops. City was on ancient Silk Road, so you can observe elements of Muslim culture. Bread, mosques and etc. Nice city mix of modern and ancient China

These grottoes are sensational. The earliest grottoes started during the North Wei dynasty. The bulk of the constructions are from the Tang dynasty. And the last few are carved during the Song dynasty. I highly recommend a guide as it explains the subtle stylistic differences from each era. These grottoes ran along both bank of the river, so you can walk along one side, cross the bridge then back the other.