Luoyang Museum

洛阳博物馆

A national first-class museum with artifacts from Luoyang spanning the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties through the Tang and Song. Highlights include the Tang sancai black-glazed horse, the white jade cup, and the Hedu Civilization exhibition.

The Luoyang Museum is on Nietai Road in Luolong District. Its new building opened in 2011, and its architecture reflects the idea of “a tripod standing over the world.” It is a national first-class museum with a collection of over 400,000 items.

The main exhibition, “Hedu Civilization,” is organized by period into halls for the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Han–Wei, and Sui–Tang dynasties. It tells the story of Luoyang as the capital of thirteen dynasties. On the second floor are the Treasure Hall, the Han and Tang Pottery Figurine Hall, the Tang Sancai Hall, the Stone Carving Hall, the Calligraphy and Painting Hall, and the Imperial Palace Artifacts Hall.

Must-see pieces include the Xia dynasty bronze jue with nipple-pattern decoration (excavated at Erlitou and known as “the first jue in China”), the “white jade cup” from the Eastern Han, a Northern Wei clay Buddha head, the Tang sancai black-glazed horse, and the Tang “sancai lamp.” The museum also has Qing imperial court artifacts on loan from the Palace Museum (Forbidden City).

Entry is free, but you must book in advance through the official WeChat account. Tickets are hard to get in peak season, so book as early as you can. The museum is closed on Mondays. A visit takes about 2–3 hours. Audio guide rentals and scheduled free guided tours are available. The museum is near Nanchang Road Station on Metro Line 2, not far from the Sui-Tang City Ruins Botanical Garden and Guanlin.

Tips: When the museum is crowded, consider visiting the second-floor Treasure Hall first. Families with children may want to check out the children’s interactive area.

Luoyang Museum

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