Luoyang

Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast. As of December 31, 2018, Luoyang had a population of 6,888,500 inhabitants with 2,751,400 people living in the built-up (or metro) area made of the city's five out of six urban districts (except the Jili District not continuously urbanized) and Yanshi District, now being conurbated.By the end of 2022, Luoyang Municipality has jurisdiction over 7 municipal districts, 7 counties and 1 development zone]. The permanent population is 7.079 million. Situated on the central plain of China, Luoyang is among the oldest cities in China and one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. It is the earliest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.With a civilization history of more than 5,000 years, a city history of more than 4,000 years, and a capital history of more than 1,500 years, Luoyang is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, the eastern starting point of the Silk Road, and the center of the Sui and Tang Grand Canal. In history, 13 dynasties have established their capitals here. Names The name "Luoyang" originates from the city's location on the north or sunny ("yang") side of the Luo River. Since the river flows from west to east and the sun is to the south of the river, the sun always shines on the north side of the river. Luoyang has had several names over the centuries, including Luoyi and Luozhou, but Luoyang has been its primary name. It has also been called Dongdu during the Tang dynasty, Xijing during the Song dynasty, or Jingluo. During the rule of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, the city was known as Shendu. Luoyang was renamed Henanfu during the Qing dynasty but regained its former name in 1912.