Paralight · Themed route
Ancient Architecture · Reading China Through Time
Head west from Beijing along a line of thousand-year architecture: look up at the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, listen for the bell of White Horse Temple in Luoyang; in Xi'an, read Tang-dynasty confidence in the city walls and the Terracotta Army; end at Dunhuang, where the flying apsaras of the Mogao Caves bring the journey to its most breathtaking close. Five cities, one readable history of China.
- 1Beijing3 suggested days
Imperial halls and ritual altars — where China's architectural story opens.
- 2Datong Ancient City2 suggested days
The Yungang Grottoes and Liao-Jin temple halls — five dynasties of stone and timber.
- 3Luoyang2 suggested days
The bell of China's first Buddhist temple and the carved cliffs of Longmen.
- 4Xi'an3 suggested days
Tang-era walls and the Terracotta Army — the confidence of a golden age.
- 5Dunhuang3 suggested days
Flying apsaras at the Mogao Caves — a Silk Road finale on the desert edge.