[2025 Luoyang ] Travel Guide for Shanshan Association (Updated Jan)

As the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, apart from the Longmen Grottoes, Guanlin, and the White Horse Temple on the outskirts, there are pitifully few ancient buildings in Luoyang city. On the way to the Ancient Tomb Museum, I visited two Qing Dynasty building complexes—the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall and the Luzhe Guild Hall. The decent wood carvings, adorable stone lions🦁️, and exquisite stone column bases are among the few highlights. Tips1: During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the 'Shanxi merchants' from Shanxi and the 'Huizhou merchants' from Anhui shone together, holding a pivotal position in the national commerce and financial life. Luoyang was a necessary pass for Shanxi merchants moving south, Huizhou merchants moving north, and Shaanxi merchants moving east. There are two remaining ancient building complexes in the old city of Luoyang. One is the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall, which was built during the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods of the Qing Dynasty by the wealthy merchants of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces. The other is the Luzhe Guild Hall, which was built in the ninth year of Qianlong (1744 AD) by fellow merchants from the prefectures of Luan and Zezhou in Shanxi. The Luzhe Guild Hall and the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall are less than one kilometer apart, east and west, showing the prosperity of Shanxi merchants' business. Tips2: The Wood and Stone Carving Art of Luzhe Guild Hall The wood and stone carvings of the Luzhe Guild Hall are particularly outstanding. On the components of each level of the building, especially under the eaves, the wooden beams, lintels, brackets, and hanging columns are almost all decorated with carvings. There are figures, animals, flowers, and more, with wood carvings using techniques such as relief and openwork. In addition to wood carvings, the stone carving art of the Luzhe Guild Hall is also very distinctive, especially the carvings on the column bases of the main hall, which are lively and exquisite. The six stone column bases in front of the outer eaves are particularly characteristic, with the upper layer featuring two dragons playing drums, the middle layer consisting of six animals penetrating a table in openwork, and the lower layer composed of three layers of stone carvings with twelve overlapping lotus petal patterns.

Luoyang Wanli Tea Road Museum, originally named Shan-Shaan Guild Hall, was built during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. It was a place for merchants from Jin (Shanxi) and Shaan (Shaanxi) to fund and build for business and gatherings. It is also one of the more completely preserved early Qing Dynasty architectural complexes in the western Henan region. 1⃣️ The opera tower is divided into two floors. In ancient times, traveling merchants needed to worship Guan Shengdi Jun (Lord Guan), and during the worship of Lord Guan, it was customary to perform a grand opera. Opposite the opera tower is the worship hall for Lord Guan, but now the statue of Lord Guan is no longer there. 2⃣️ The shadow wall of the guild hall is currently under maintenance, but its splendid glazed patterns are still not fully concealed. The shadow wall is made of blue carved bricks, with glazed bricks on the surface, each carving out auspicious patterns such as the qilin, two dragons playing with a pearl, figures, peony flowers, etc., which are exquisitely beautiful. 3⃣️ The ceremonial gates on both sides are also worth exploring in detail. Although they may not look large, they are as layered as the main hall. The ceremonial gates have plaques hanging on them: "West Xiao values martial arts" "East Chan respects literature". "Xiao" is the Xiao Mountain to the northwest of Luoyang, and "Chan" is the Chan River in Luoyang. One west and one east, one land and one water, one literature and one martial arts, it is quite interesting. 4⃣️ Additionally, the guild hall's square also has a pair of majestic stone lions and a group of peony drum stones, the lion pillar bases of the worship hall, the high-hanging plaques on the beams, the towering steles, etc., all of which are worth savoring. The most impressive aspect of the Shan-Shaan Guild Hall is its hip-and-gable roof style, glazed tile covering, and linked bracket sets in its architectural form, especially the eaves of the main hall, which are layered and very magnificent. There are also wooden carvings of figures, mythical beasts, and plants, which are lively and interesting. The roof is covered with gorgeous glazed flower tiles, brightly colored, and there are sculptures of mythical beasts and figures on the roof ridge. Other buildings such as: two ceremonial gates, mountain gate, dance tower, archway, side chambers, etc., although not as magnificent as the eaves of the main hall, each have their own unique flavor. Shan-Shaan Guild Hall Free Admission Address: No. 171 Jiudu East Road, Old City District, Luoyang City. It is 52m east of the Jiudu East Road Fenghua Street intersection (bus stop), about a 1-minute walk.