Zhang Xiaowan

Following her breakthrough on Sisters Who Make Waves 2025 (乘风破浪的姐姐2025), actress-singer Zhang Xiaowan (张小婉) embarked on a deeply personal journey to Luoyang, Henan. Though raised in neighboring Zhengzhou, Luoyang's cultural tapestry resonated powerfully with her Henan heritage. This narrative captures her transformative encounters with the city's UNESCO wonders and culinary traditions, revealing how ancient stones and blooming peonies reignited her artistic spirit and sense of belonging. Her pilgrimage bridges contemporary stardom with enduring Chinese tradition. Moonlight and Stone Buddhas The warm orange moonlight bathed the Longmen Grottoes as Zhang Xiaowan stood silently before the majestic Vairocana Buddha. This UNESCO World Heritage site, carved over centuries from Northern Wei to Tang Dynasty, held fragmented childhood memories of visits with her mother. Decades later, under the quiet night sky away from daytime crowds, a profound stillness enveloped her. "All pressure, daily noise, and restlessness vanished," Xiaowan reflected, her voice unusually soft. "Facing the Buddha felt like facing my own quiet core. That moonlight energy cleansed me." The grottoes' 100,000 statues, especially the central Vairocana Buddha flanked by disciples and bodhisattvas, offered not just artistic awe but a visceral spiritual reset. For Xiaowan, born into a Henan opera family, this moment crystallized a…