Xian Luoyang Day Tour by High Speed Train

Early in the morning, you go to Xian North Railway Station by yourself and take the morning high speed train for Luoyang ( less than two hours ). Met by our tour guide in Luoyang. Drive directly from Luoyang Longmen Train Station to Shaolin Temple . Shaolin Temple is located in the Songshan Mountains, 80 km south-east of Luoyang and about 90 km southwest of Zhengzhou-Henan's provincial capital.

Shaolin Temple is famous not only as one of China's most important Buddhist temples, but also as the center of Chinese kung-fu. First constructed in 495, the temple was mainly designed to accommodate Batuo, a famous Indian monk. Now Shaolin Temple is reputed as the Number One Temple under Heaven which was listed as UNESCO’s World Cultural & Natural Heritage List in 2010 as part of the "Historic Monuments of Dengfeng". The temple is the cradle of the Chinese Zen Buddhism and the Shaolin Martial Arts.

After lunch, back to the city of Luoyang and explore ****** Longmen Grottoes** . It is situated on the Yihe River bank, about 12 kilometers from Luoyang city. It is one of the three most valuable Buddhist caves and rock carvings in China. The grottoes were first carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), when the rulers relocated their capital from Datong to Luoyang at the end of the 5th century. The Longmen Grottoes were listed as a World Heritage Site in Nov, 2000.

After finishing your tour in Luoyang, you are transferred back to Luoyang Longmen Railway Station. Then you take the late afternoon high-speed train back to Xian ( less than two hours). Upon arrival in Xian, you return from Xian North Railway Station to your hotel in Xian by yourself.