Luoyang Nightlife
Although Luoyang is an ancient city, the locals enjoy a colorful and fashionable nightlife particularly in recent years. When the night comes, thousands of colorful lamps are lit along the streets, on the squares in the city center and on the bridges over the Luohe River traversing the city. Going out to appreciate the beautiful lights has become one of the most popular ways to spend evenings among the locals. Some even dance in the open air on the squares. Street lamps are quite unique in Luoyang. They look like beautiful blossoming peonies that are the symbols of the city.
Of course, the locals especially the young generations are fond of relaxing in various bars and other entertainment centers including KTV (Karaoke Pubs), bathing houses and beauty salons. Dining out to enjoy the local snacks is also an important part of the locals' nightlife. South Zhu Jiang Road is the busiest center of the city, where you can find the most popular bars, night markets, cafés and other recreation venues. The Peony Square located in the east end of Xi Yuan Road is also a good place to discover the truth of the city's nightlife.
Luoyang was once the capital city of nine dynasties in Chinese history. The local actors make a grand dancing and musical performance known as 'He Luo Feng' that particularly shows the profound culture of the city. It is really unique and worth seeing. The performance is full of beautiful dancing, dulcet music and glittering lights. Performers wearing traditional clothes and playing ancient musical instruments will take you back thousands of years. There are six acts which tell the ancient legends and long history of Luoyang's thriving past, recession, as well as stories about Luoyang's peonies.
The highlight of the performance is the imperial dance of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), which presents the highly thriving time zenith of Luoyang's great past, accompanied by the sound of bells and chime stones. Changeable stage lights and music, together with fabulous dancing and poems, form quite a poetic and dreamy atmosphere showing you the cultural development of this ancient city. The performance is usually put on stage at the time of important events or special festivals like the Peony Festival held in April of each year.
In addition, you can also have a great night time watching Shaolin Zen Music Ritual, performed in Daixian Gorge of Songshan Mountain not far from Shaolin Temple. It combines Zen Buddhism music, martial arts, and dance with modern sound and light technologies, offering a feast to the eyes and ears.