Any Chinese city worth its rice has an Old Town. Within Luoyang’s is this scenic area comprising a plethora of water-banquet restaurants, costume shops and the occasional creaking monument, namely the lovely brick Wenfeng Pagoda (文峰塔, Wénfēng Tǎ), originally built in the Song dynasty.
Bring your passport for access or skip the theme-park area entirely and make your way to the more atmospheric Drum Tower rising up on Dong Dajie (东大街).