Luoyang Old Town (Lijing Gate)

Luoyang Old Town is a walkable district in Laocheng District, Luoyang, Henan province, centred on the restored Lijing Gate and the Dongdajie street. Luoyang served as a capital for many dynasties, and the old town preserves a street pattern and a set of Ming and Qing style buildings that give a sense of that heritage. The area is open at all hours, with shops and food stalls operating from about 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Visitors walk along pedestrian streets lined with timber-fronted shops, teahouses and craft stalls, past the Drum Tower and small courtyard houses, and through the Lijing Gate, a reconstructed city gate that is lit up in the evening and forms the main photo subject. The district is best known for food. Luoyang shuixi, the water banquet, is a set of soup-based dishes served in sequence, and old town restaurants offer versions for groups. Street snacks include Luoyang-style soups, flatbreads, fried pastries and local sweets, and stalls fill up in the evening. Many visitors also see people in traditional Hanfu costumes, which are rented locally and photographed against the gate and old streets. A walk through the district takes two to three hours, longer with a meal. Evening is the best time, since the gate glows, the food streets are lively and the temperature is cooler in summer. Weekends and holidays are very crowded, with slow-moving streets, and the atmosphere is commercial rather than strictly historical. The old town suits visitors looking for local food and atmosphere after a day at Longmen Grottoes or White Horse Temple. Didi from Luoyang Railway Station takes about ¥20, and searching for 丽景门 in the Amap app helps drivers find the gate. Photography is unrestricted in the open streets.