Luoyang, 120 kilometers west of Zhengzhou, served as capital for 12 dynasties, starting in the 21st century B. C. , during a period of 1,200 years. Luoyang has long been known as the City of Peonies. There are such tourist attractions as Longmen Grottoes, the White Horse Umple, the Forest of Guan Yu, the Museum of Ancient Tombs, and the Hometown of Xuan Zhuang.