Datong Attraction
Datong is an eight hour away by train from Beijing, the second largest city in Shanxi Province, situated in the far north, near the border with Inner Mongolia. In a valley at Yungang, some 10 miles west of Datong and easily reached by taxi or public bus, more than 50 recesses have been dug into the hills and filled with Buddhist statues of various sizes and shapes, 51,000 altogether. From the 56-foot Seated Buddha to tiny figures just a few centimeters tall, every wall and archway is crammed with carvings, including serial-type representations of scenes from Buddhist mythology and the lives of famous monks.
Top Attractions:
 Datong is one of the 24 famous historical and cultural cities in China due to its ever prosperous history. These prosperous days left Datong with a series of splendid historic and cultural relics like the Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Monastery. Most of them are the integration of minorities' cultural and Han culture. The scenery of Datong differs markedly from the delicate and pretty cities south of Yangtze River.
Top Attractions in Datong
 Hanging Monastery
Summary This unique monastery hangs 50 meters above the ground on the cliff side, and it is the only one in China which enshrines three religions within one monastery. Introduction The Hanging Monastery is located at the foot of Heng Shan (Heng Mountain, or Mt. Hengshan), which is one of the Five Sacred Mo..
 Hengshan Mountain (Shanxi)
Mt. Hengshan is located in Hunyuan County of Shanxi Province in northern China. It is the Northern Mountain of the "Five Sacred Mountains". Boasting 108 peaks and spanning 150 kilometers, it has an average elevation of 2,017 meters. The Tianfeng Peak,
 Yungang Grottoes
Summary Enrolled as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 2001, Yungang Grottoes represent the excellent achievement of Buddhist sculptural art of ancient China, and it is the largest among the four most famous ancient grotto complexes in China. Introduction Yungang Grottoes with 252 caves and 51,00..
Hanging Monastery
Summary As one of three famous walls of this style in China (the other two are in Beihai Park in Beijing and in front of Taiji Gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing), Datong Nine-Dragon Wall is the oldest, largest and the most enchanting one among the three. Overview Built during the Ming Dynasty (1271-136
 Yingxian Wooden Pagoda
Summary It is the only one, the largest and oldest Buddhist pagoda in the world that was totally built with wood. Dimension Yingxian Muta, or Yingxian Wooden Pagoda was built in 1056 during the Liao (CE 916-1125) Dynasty. Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is the oldest all-wood pagoda in China, and the highest all-wo... more about Yingxian Wooden Pagoda Datong Steam Locomotive Museum
Summary It is a steam locomotive museum built at the original site of the New China’s first locomotive factory. Introduction Datong Steam Locomotive Museum is there mainly for the history of the site. It used to be the location of Datong Locomotive Factory, the first locomotive factory opened during
 Huayan Temple
The Huayan Monastery complex is located on Daxi Street on the south western side of Datong City, Shanxi Province. There are two separate sections to the monastery, the upper one referred to as the Grand Hall housing five large Ming Dynasty Buddhas Yanmenguan Pass
Yanmenguan Pass of Great Wall is located in the Gouzhu Mountain ranges, within the Hengshan Mountain range, 12 miles to the north of Dai County, in Shanxi Province. Along with Ningwuguan Pass and Pianguan Pass, Yanmenguan Pass is one of three important passes through the inner line of the Great Wall in the Shanxi
Grottoes and Caverns/Caves:
Among the unsung wonders of China's history-soaked heritage are the 1,500-year-old Buddhist grottoes of Datong. Yungang Grottoes, Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and Luoyang Grottoes are called "China's three major grottoes", which haveboasting very high artistic value.
Ancient Country and Pass:
The ancient city of Pingyao is an outstanding example of Chinese Han Nationality cities in the Ming and Qing dynasties, displaying all the features of those periods. Pingya, in particular reveals a picture of unexpected cultural, social, economic and religious development in Chinese history.
Traditional Family House:
In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional residences and commercial courtyards, 3797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are intact. These traditional residences are the carriers of history culture, which are valuable for studying its history, folk customs, architecture, and art, and still serve as homes of local people. They become the architectural cultural heritage, which are protected and utilized today.
Pagoda and Temple:
Up to now, the city wall, streets, houses, shops, pagodas and temples have been almost kept intact. The layout and the flavor of the city have little changed. The valuables of the inner and outer city are under special protection and preserved intact.
The most beautiful landscapenatural site in Datong is Hengshan, one of the five holy mountains of Taoism. At the foot of Hengshan Mountain, there is the almost unbelievable Hanging Midair Temple, which lies against cliffs and stays high up in the air, and is acclaimed as the peak of perfection.
Famous Mountain:
Other:
Datong has several other tourist attractions - such as the 600-year-old Nine-Dragon Screen made of glazed tiles, the Huayan Monastery with the largest wooden shrine hall in China, and the Shanhua Monastery, intact since 713.
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