CITY · SHANXI
Datong
大同 · Dàtóng
Overview
Northern Shanxi gateway to the Yungang Grottoes (UNESCO) — the 5th-century Buddhist cliff carvings — and the cliff-side Hanging Temple at Mt Heng.
Datong was the capital of the Northern Wei dynasty in the 5th century, when its emperors commissioned the Yungang Grottoes — 252 caves and 51,000 Buddhist statues carved into a sandstone cliff 16 km west of the city, now UNESCO-listed. The Hanging Temple (Xuankong Si), 65 km southeast, is a 1,500-year-old wooden temple complex pinned to the side of a cliff, said to be one of the architectural feats of imperial China. The city itself has been heavily reconstructed in the 2010s; the rebuilt city wall and the Huayan Monastery are the main in-town sights.
What to see
- Yungang Grottoes (UNESCO)
- Hanging Temple at Mt Heng
- Huayan Monastery
- Datong's reconstructed city wall
- Wooden Pagoda of Yingxian (the world's tallest existing wooden pagoda, 80 km south)
What to eat
- Knife-sliced noodles
- Datong-style beef and donkey meat
Getting there
Datong Yungang (DAT) airport. Datong South HSR: Beijing 1h 40m, Taiyuan 1h 50m.
Getting around
Bus to Yungang (15 km). Tour bus or hire car for the Hanging Temple and Wooden Pagoda.
Where to stay
Central old town near the Drum Tower.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
May–June, September–October.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥220 |
| Mid-range | ¥480 |
| Comfortable | ¥1100 |
Nearby attractions
Hanging Temple 悬空寺
1,500-year-old wooden temple complex pinned to the side of a 75m cliff at Mt Heng. Engineered with horizontal posts driven into the rock face.
Mt Heng Bei (Northern Sacred Mountain) 北岳恒山
Sacred Daoist mountain in northern Shanxi. The Hanging Temple (Xuankong Si) is on its slope.
Mt Wutai 五台山
UNESCO-listed sacred Buddhist mountain in northern Shanxi. Five flat-topped peaks; the bodhisattva Manjusri's traditional residence.
Wooden Pagoda of Yingxian 应县木塔
67m wooden pagoda built 1056 — the world's tallest existing wooden pagoda and the oldest fully timber-framed pagoda anywhere.
Yungang Grottoes 云冈石窟
UNESCO-listed Buddhist cliff carvings 16 km west of Datong, carved 460–525 CE under the Northern Wei. 252 caves, 51,000 statues.
Itineraries visiting Datong
Food of Northern China
- Beijing Lamb Hot Pot涮羊肉
Beijing-Mongolian style hot pot — clear broth, thinly-sliced lamb, sesame-paste dipping sauce.
- Boiled Dumplings (Shuijiao)水饺
Wheat-wrapper dumplings filled with pork-and-cabbage, lamb-and-leek, or vegetable, boiled and served with vinegar.
- Cat's Ear Noodles猫耳朵
Small thumbnail-pinched Shanxi pasta, shaped like cat's ears. Stir-fried with vegetables or in soup.
- Goubuli Baozi狗不理包子
Tianjin's signature steamed pork buns. The original house, founded 1858, is still operating.
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