ABSTRACT
In the wake of Luoyang’s fall and destruction in 311, north China entered upon a most chaotic period in her history, that of the Sixteen States. The Central Plain, the cradle of Chinese civilization, became a bone of contention among rival powers. Luoyang, as its most famous city, changed hands numerous times until it came under the control of the Northern Wei in 430. More than 60 years later, on the ruins of the old city, a new city, later known as Northern Wei Luoyang, arose in 493–495. To understand how it came about, we must first examine the vicissitudes of its prehistory.
