Wangcheng Park in Luoyang
Attractions Overview: One of the best places to enjoy the beauty of the peony.
Attraction Type: Park
Chinese Name: Wangcheng Park
Chinese Name: 王城公园
Best Time to Visit: April
Recommended Visiting Time: 2–3 hours
Open Hours: 7:30-22:30
Admission Fee: 20 RMB / Person
Address in English: No. 312, Zhongzhou Middle Road, Xigong District, Luoyang City
Address in Chinese: 洛阳市西工区中州中路312号
Why is Wangcheng Park So Special?
Wangcheng Park consists of an ancient cultural district, peony flower garden, animal museum, and playground. This is the main venue for the annual Peony Fair and a good flower viewing spot. The Peony area is composed of several large peony nursuries, with more than 10,000 peony plants. Among the over 300 varieties of peonies, there is a white peony fairy sculpture. The animal museum is located in the north of the park. It is home to more than 50 kinds of rare birds and animals such as giant pandas, Siberian tigers, South China tigers and red-crowned cranes. It is suitable for children to see. It was built on the site of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770–256 BC) in 1955, which is how it got its name Wangcheng, literally meaning ‘king’s walled city, covering an area of 67 hectares. Luoyang Peony enjoys the honor of King of the Flower Kingdom with various varieties and colors; also the national flower of China.
Where is Wangcheng Park?
Wangcheng Park is located at No. 312, Zhongzhou Middle Road, Xigong District, Luoyang City, and address in Chinese is 洛阳市西工区中州中路312号. And the park is about 133 km from Zhengzhou City (郑州市), the capital of Henan province (河南省).
How to Get There?
Travel with China Dragon Tours (top recommended)
If you want to get rid of hustle of transportation and troublesome navigation, you can book a private tour package which covers visiting, dining and transfer from us. Our local tour guide and driver will escort you to Wangcheng Park with speed and convenience, and take care of all the details. You just need to focus on travel.
Independent Travel
For independent travelers you can
It is about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Luoyang Longmen Railway Station to Wangcheng Park, which is about 30 minutes’ drive.
Alternatively, you can take bus 9, 10, 11, 15, 19, 28, 30, 32, 40, 50, 59, 101, 102, or 103 and get off at Wangcheng Park.
Main Attractions in Wangcheng Park
Wangcheng Park is composed of the History and Culture area, the Peony Admiring Area, the Peony Culture Area, Wangcheng Zoo, and the Amusement Area.
The History and Culture Area
You can see the architectural style of the Zhou Dynasty (1046–221 BC) in this area. Chenxiang Pavilion is one of the main features of Wangcheng Park, covering an area of more than 800 square meters (8,600 square feet) with a height of 22 meters (72 feet). It is the highest and most magnificent ancient building remaining in Luoyang.
Another attraction in this area is Shaoyue Terrace. Shaoyue was a kind of ancient court music. The terrace was built to reproduce the style and features of architecture from the Zhou Dynasty. Shaoyue Terrace is equipped with classical national instruments, such as chimes and guzheng (long zither with 16 to 16 strings), which are played for tourists.
The Peony Culture Area
It is the most popular and attractive area in Wangcheng Park. It has more than 10,000 peony trees of 858 different types. Many good varieties of peonies at home and abroad are cultivated there. The Peony Culture Area presents poems from a number of literary giants and artwork from famous calligraphers and painters. The three art forms are displayed along a long, columned corridor. It served as the venue for the first Luoyang Peony Festival and as the main venue for the successive peony festivals every year. During this festival, there is a big lantern fair in the evening.
Wangcheng Zoo
Located in the north of Wangcheng Park, the zoo has 62 species of wild animals, including giant pandas, South China tigers, Siberian tigers, leopards, and red-crowned cranes, as well as rare foreign animals, such as African elephants, white rhinos, chimpanzees, and kangaroos. The biggest attraction in the zoo is the South China tigers. The zoo is one of the most important breeding bases for this species. The total number of South China tigers in the zoo is 23, ranking first in China. All animals are well cared for in the zoo.
Best Time to Go
The best travel time to the park is in April when peony is on blossom. There are over 200 species of planted peonies with total number over 10,000 plants on the Luoyang Peony Festival (Apr 15-25) in the park. And it is a majestic display of natural beauty when thousands of flowers in red, white, black, yellow, purple, pink, blue, green in blossom. The Peony Culture Area is a long walk way that presenting poems from many of China’s literary giants and artwork from famous calligraphers and painters.
Useful Travel Tips
- It may be a bit crowded during the Luoyang Peony Festival. We suggest a workday for visiting, but don’t worry about going during weekends. Your guide will arrange a ticket and private car in advance for you so that you won’t get caught up in the crowds.
- The Luoyang Peony Festival
Admission: 10 yuan Mondays to Fridays, 30 yuan weekends and public holidays (including zoo admission); the lantern show is 15 yuan
