The Buddhist gods, meditating in their sequestered shrines which peep out over the cliffs of Mount Longmen in Luoyang, have witnessed the city change over millenniums. As the capital of 13 dynasties, Luoyang may appear low-key without too many unique characteristics at first glance, but for its cultural and scientific significance to China and the world, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

A starting point of the ancient Silk Road, Luoyang once stretched its cultural and commercial reach from the Yellow River to the Golden Horn. An unprecedented connection between the East and the West was established in Luoyang 1,854 years ago when the first Roman Empire envoy visited the city and was spellbound by its thriving international trade and vibrant fusion of culture.

Millenniums later, Luoyang’s dust-laden history has yet dwindled its global influence. It is a conglomeration of world-class museums and leading cultural industries, as well as the birthplace of the world’s first 5G driverless tractor. As a treasury of ancient culture and an incubator of high-tech inventions, Luoyang is reverberating with life along the “Belt and Road.”

The Longmen Grottoes, carved out of the limestone cliffs in Luoyang, house as many as 100,000 Buddha statues in over 2,100 caves. The Big Vairocana (Left) is the largest Buddha statue at the Longmen Buddha Grottoes, standing 17.14 meters high with 2 meter long ears. (People’s Daily Online/Kou Jie)

“Luoyang is a city of long history and high ambition. Its unparalleled culture has nourished Chinese civilization, while its advanced technologies and modern manufacturing industries have kept its vitality to date. It represents the harmonious coexistence of tradition and innovation,” said Zou Yirong, executive deputy director and robotic engineering expert from LAMIC, a Luoyang-based research and technological development center.