Discover
Datong is one of northern China's strongest heritage destinations, combining the monumental Buddhist art of the Yungang Grottoes with dramatic cliffside architecture at the Hanging Temple and a restored historic city center. A 2–3 day stay works well for travelers interested in Buddhist art, ancient architecture and Shanxi history.
Top places to see
Start with the places that define the destination, then build the route around your pace and interests.
Explore a UNESCO-listed Northern Wei cave complex carved into a one-kilometer cliff, with monumental Buddha statues, richly decorated caves and more than 50,000 stone figures showing the meeting of Indian, Central Asian and Chinese Buddhist art.
See a 1,500-year-old temple built into the cliffs of Mount Heng, famous for its suspended wooden halls, narrow cliffside walkways and rare Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian shrines in one complex.
Visit one of Datong’s most important Liao and Jin dynasty temple complexes, known for grand halls, Buddhist sculpture and a distinctive pagoda in the restored old city.
Discover a quieter historic temple complex preserving major Liao and Jin dynasty halls, statues and traditional courtyard architecture near the southern side of the old city.
Walk or cycle along the reconstructed city wall for elevated views across Datong’s old-city grid, historic rooftops and evening lights.
See a monumental glazed-tile dragon wall dating to the Ming dynasty, one of the largest and best-preserved examples of its kind in China.
Explore Datong’s restored historic center around the Drum Tower, where temples, traditional-style streets and local restaurants are clustered within the old-city walls.
Travel south of Datong to see an extraordinary 11th-century wooden pagoda built without nails, celebrated for its height, engineering and surviving Liao dynasty structure.
Combine mountain scenery with northern China’s sacred Taoist heritage on one of the Five Great Mountains, often visited together with the nearby Hanging Temple.
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Good to know
Allow a full day for Yungang Grottoes and the historic center, and plan a separate transfer day for the Hanging Temple, Mount Heng or Yingxian Wooden Pagoda because these sights lie outside central Datong.
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