1．九朝古都连史话

在洛河与邙山之间的洛阳盆地上，从东到西几十千米的距离，依次排列着夏、商、周、汉魏、隋唐五大都城的遗址，从东周起，历东汉、曹魏、西晋、北魏（孝文帝以后）、隋（炀帝）、唐（武后）、后唐、后梁先后9个朝代在洛阳建都。

周在历史上是中国西北部的一个小国，公元前11世纪一举灭掉商朝，建立了周王朝。为了加强对东方诸侯的控制，就选择了黄河以南的伊洛一带准备建都，成王五年（前1038）大规模地在洛邑一带营建成周（即当时的洛阳城），后来也称为王城。成王先后派召公和周公去察看地形，进行城市规划。当成周建成时，为了表示对这座城市的重视，成王把代表国家的重器九鼎也迁到了成周。据记载，当时的成周分内城和外城，南部与洛水相连，规模很大。西周时期洛阳亦非常受重视，成王甚至长期居住在洛阳。但总的来说，当时的洛阳仍不过是处在陪都的地位。直到公元前770年，周平王才正式迁都洛阳。此后的500多年，周都以洛阳为都城。

汉魏洛阳的故城在今洛阳市东15千米处，起初规模比较小，春秋时晋国联合其他诸侯国对其进行了扩建。秦国攻取洛阳以后，设置三郡。汉朝在洛阳设置河南郡。

东汉光武帝刘秀即位后，正式把汉朝的都城迁到了洛阳，在城内大量修建宫殿和台、观、馆、阁。另外，为了供帝王游猎，还修建了不少苑囿，如上林苑、芳林苑、灵囿等，在洛阳城南侧还修建了明堂、辟雍和灵台。明堂是天子的太庙，辟雍是用来演奏乐礼、宣讲德化的地方。灵台在明堂、辟雍的西南，是用来观测天象的地方。现在洛阳汉魏故城南的灵台遗址依然存在，这也是中国现存的最早的一座天文观测遗址。汉代洛阳城，囿十二阁门，现在这座故城遗址的轮廓还清晰可辨。

东汉时，洛阳的商业也很繁荣。当时，洛阳有很多人弃农从商，市场上出现了许多专供享乐的物品。但到了东汉末年，洛阳一度遭到严重破坏。直到公元220年魏文帝曹丕篡汉自立后，才又开始营建洛阳宫，并迁都洛阳。

晋代洛阳开始呈现出一派繁荣的景象。当时洛阳有金市、牛市、羊市3个市，而且市的早放晚收也都有定时。永嘉之乱后，洛阳又遭到极大的破坏，许多宫殿被焚烧，财产被抢掠，城市成了一堆瓦砾灰烬。

北魏初期定都在平城（今山西大同），它统一北方以后，政治、经济重心开始南移。493年以后迁都洛阳。据史料记载，当时洛阳城内的城市区划已经形成，贫富悬殊的住宅区已经出现。北魏洛阳的商业也非常繁荣，出现了固定的商业区。那时，洛阳是“丝绸之路”的东方起点，是国际贸易的大都市。

隋朝隋炀帝即位后，改洛阳为东京，不久又决定迁都洛阳。605年，隋炀帝命令杨素、宇文恺营建东京。因为汉魏洛阳故城已经在不断的战乱中颓废不堪，所以在故城西边营建新的都城。

新建的都城，北依邙山，南对伊阙，地势非常险要。全城有城门10个，南面、西面各3个，西面、北面各2个。城内建有宫城和皇城，都在城的西北角地势较高的地方。作为皇宫的主体，宫城的中央各殿和皇城的正门端门都是正对伊阙，全城以此为中轴线，看起来气势非常雄伟。隋朝营建东京洛阳，工程非常浩大，如此巨大的工程在当时的技术条件下居然能在一年的时间内完成，不能不说是一个奇迹。

隋炀帝在营建东都的同时，在615年三月又动工开凿运河。从洛阳的西苑引涧水、洛水到黄河，再从板清（今河南荥阳汜水镇东北）引黄河水到淮河。然后又疏浚邗沟，引淮河水到长江，从而沟通了江淮。608年又开通了永济渠，引沁水南到达黄河，北到达涿郡（今北京西南）。610年开通了江南运河从京口（今江苏镇江）到余杭（今浙江杭州）400余千米。运河修成后，洛阳成了全国的运河中心，交通更加方便，经济更加繁荣。

唐高宗在洛阳修建了上阳宫，其中的西南隅，是唐代洛阳宫殿中最为壮丽的建筑。690年，武则天正式称帝，改唐为周，并以洛阳为都，在洛阳进行了历史上最大规模的修建，这也是洛阳历史上最为辉煌的时期。现在洛阳牡丹天下闻名，就与当时武则天喜欢牡丹有直接的关系。武则天死后，政权复归李氏，仍定都长安，洛阳再次成为陪都。

隋唐王朝大规模修建洛阳，说明洛阳的地位在当时是非常重要的。在隋唐以前，全国的经济、政治、文化中心在长安，但东汉以后长安因为战争而屡遭破坏。都城设在长安最困难的问题就是运输问题，如果要把全国各地的，特别是东南地区粮食和其他物资运往京城要经过黄河的天然险要地段，十分不便。而洛阳位于中国的中部，物资转运比较方便，而且从政治上考虑，建都洛阳也便于加强对全国的控制，因此，政治、经济中心便从长安转移到了洛阳。

唐末的“安史之乱”中，洛阳再次在战乱中毁灭，辉煌不再。五代的后梁、后唐时，洛阳在风雨飘摇中十多年，从此结束了它的都城历史。

宋代建都东京（今河南开封），此时洛阳已不再是都城。金灭北宋后，于1217年在洛阳建立中京，现在的洛阳老城就是在金代修筑的。元、明、清三代在洛阳设置河南府，城墙本来是土墙，到明代（1373）才开始修筑砖墙，到清朝初期，又对洛阳城加以重修。

1. History

Across the Luoyang Basin located between the Luohe River and the Mount Mang there lies a city which used to be the capital of nine dynasties-Eastern Zhou, Eastern Han, Wei (in the Three Kingdoms Period), Western Jin, Northern Wei (in the Southern and Northern Dynasties Period), Sui during the reign of Emperor Yang, Tang during the reign of Emperor Wu Zetian, Later Liang (907-923) as well as Later Tang (923-936). The city is Luoyang.

In the 21st century BC, Yu founded the Xia dynasty in the area where the Yellow River meets with the Luohe River. In the Xia dynasty, several kings including Taikang, Zhongkang and Jie set the capital in Zhenxun (inside present Luoyang ). In the 16th century BC, Xia dynasty was defeated by Shang, and Tang, the King of Shang dynasty set the capital in Xihao (inside present Luoyang).

In the 11th century BC, Zhou, a small state northwest of China, toppled the Shang dynasty and established the Zhou dynasty. In order to strengthen the control over those dukes in the east, the King of the Zhou dynasty ordered to build a secondary capital around Yiluo area on the south bank of the Yellow River. In 1038 BC, King Cheng started a huge capital building project in Luoyi. He sent Duke Zhao and Duke Zhou successively to look into the landform there for city planning. After the construction was finished, King Cheng moved nine dings, a set of bronze objects used as the symbol of the dynasty, to the new city, showing his accent on the city. The capital was named Chengzhou (today's Luoyang) and later known as Wangcheng which literally means "the city of the king". According to historical records, Chengzhou was quite large, divided into the inner city and the outer city with Luohe River flowing by in the south. Though King Cheng spent much of his time in the new capital, Chengzhou was still no more than a secondary capital. In 770 BC King Ping officially moved the national capital to Chengzhou which remained so ever since for more than 500 years.

In the Eastern Han dynasty, Luoyang was made the capital after Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu, succeeded the throne. Inside the city, a number of palaces, terraces, Taoist temples and halls were built; outside the city, several imperial animal hunting enclosures were built. What's more, Ming Tang, Pi Yong and Ling Tai were erected south of the city. Ming Tang was the Imperial Shrine. Pi Yong was a place for performing ritual music and preaching morals. Ling Tai was an observatory. Today, the relic of Ling Tai still stands in Luoyang. It is the most ancient one among all the observatory relics.

In the heyday of the Eastern Han dynasty, commerce in Luoyang was so developed that a lot of residents gave up farming and took up business. In the market, numerous entertainment goods were sold. In the late years of Eastern Han, however, the city was seriously destroyed and didn't recover until it was rebuilt in 220 by Cao Pi, Emperor Wen of the Wei dynasty who later declared Luoyang the capital.

In the Jin dynasty, Luoyang became prosperous again, as evidenced by the booming markets for gold, cow and sheep respectively. At that time, these three markets were opened and closed regularly each day. Unfortunately, prosperity didn't last long. After Xiongnu invaded into Luoyang and captured Emperor Huai in 331, palaces were burned, properties looted and the entire city reduced to debris and ashes.

When the Northen Wei dynasty first set up its regime, Pingcheng (today's Datong in Shanxi province) was its capital. Later, however, as the political and economic centers gradually moved southward after Northern Wei unified north China, Luoyang was finally announced the capital in 493. According to historical records, in this period, Luoyang had already been divided into districts with separated residential areas for the rich and the poor respectively and an exclusive business block. It was the starting point of the Silk Road and thus a metropolis for international commerce.

In the Sui dynasty, Emperor Yang renamed Luoyang as Dongjing (eastern capital) and soon made the decision to move the capital to Dongjing after he enthroned. In 605, ordered by Emperor Yang, two officials-Yang Su and Yuwen Kai-supervised the construction of a new capital west of the original city which had been seriously torn by years of wars.

Facing Mount Mang to its north and Mount Yique to its south, the new capital was built on a place difficult of access. There were ten city gates in total.Inside the city were the Imperial Palace and the Imperial City, both located at the northwest corner which was higher than other parts of the city. The main palaces of the Imperial Palace and the front gate of the Imperial City Duanmen were all in the same line with Mount Yique, thus forming a central axis which made the city look even grander. Huge as the project was, construction of Luoyang was finished in one year. Given the technical conditions at that time, it wouldn't be too much to call it a miracle.

When the capital was under construction, Emperor Yang ordered to start a large-scale canal-digging project. In 608, Yongji Canal was finished, connecting Luoyang with Zhuojun (the southwest of today's Beijing). In 610, another canal measuring more than 400 kilometers long was finished, linking Jingkou (today's Zhenjiang) and Yuhang (today's Hangzhou). What's more, several other canals were dug one after another and finally link two important rivers together-the Huaihe River and the Yangtze River. As a result, Luoyang became the national hub of water transportation. Convenient transportation led to a even more prosperous economy.

In the Tang dynasty, a new Imperial Palace-Shangyang Palace-was built in today's Luoyang and the southwest part of the new palace was the most impressive. In 690, Emperor Wu Zetian, the sole woman emperor in the Chinese history, officially declared herself to be the emperor and changed the name of the dynasty into Zhou with Luoyang as its capital. During her reign, Luoyang, after a repair and rebuilding effort of the largest scale in history, entered a resplendent period never being surpassed later in history. The fame that Luoyang peony enjoys now may well be attributed to Emperor Wu's fondness of peony. After she passed away, throne was returned to the Li family. The capital of the dynasty moved back to Chang'an and Luoyang was degraded to the secondary capital once again.

The large-scale construction of the city in both Sui and Tang indicated the importance of the city. Before Sui and Tang dynasties, Chang'an had been the national economic, political and cultural center, but it was greatly ravaged by wars in and after Eastern Han. Inconvenient transportation also put Chang'an at a disadvantage: grain and other goods from all over the country, the southeast in particular, had to be transported to the capital via the naturally dangerous section of the Yellow River. By contrast, located in the central part of China, Luoyang was easy of access and was a better place for an emperor to rule the whole country. Thus, Luoyang replaced Chang'an to become the national political and economic center.

Unfortunately, Luoyang was once again ruined by warfare in "An-Shi Rebellion" and remained murky in the period of Five Dynasties, putting an end to its history as a capital.

When the Song dynasty was established, Dongjing (modern Kaifeng, Henan province) was made the capital. In 1217, the Jin dynasty built Zhongjing (central capital) which is the origin of the current old city of Luoyang. In Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, Henan Fu was set in Luoyang. In the Ming dynasty, the original rammed-earth wall was replaced by a brick wall. In the early Qing dynasty, Luoyang was rebuilt.