• China Guide

  • Introduction to China
  • Weather
  • Things not to miss
  • Getting around
  • Public holidays
  • Entry requirements
  • Money

• Explore China

  • Beijing
  • Around Beijing
  • Hebei
  • Dongbei
  • The Yellow River
  • Shanghai
  • Jiangsu and Zhejiang
  • The Yangzi basin
  • Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan Island
  • Hong Kong
  • Macau
  • Guangxi and Guizhou
  • Yunnan
  • Sichuan and Chongqing
  • The Northwest
  • Tibet

• Cities

  • Ürümqi
    
  • Beijing
    
  • Changchun
    
  • Chengdu
    
  • Chongqing
    
  • Datong
    
  • Golmud
    
  • Guangzhou
    
  • Guilin
    
  • Haikou
    
  • Hangzhou
    
  • Harbin
    
  • Hohhot
    
  • Hong Kong
    
  • Jingdezhen
    
  • Jinghong
    
  • Kashgar
    
  • Kunming
    
  • Lanzhou
    
  • Lhasa
    
  • Macau
    
  • Nanjing
    
  • Nanning
    
  • Qingdao
    
  • Sanya
    
  • Shanghai
    
  • Shenyang
    
  • Shenzhen
    
  • Shigatse
    
  • Suzhou
    
  • Tianjin
    
  • Wuhan
    
  • Xiamen
    
  • Xi'an
    
  • Zhuhai
    

China Guide

The Yellow River

Datong

• Accommodation

Gritty, polluted and unattractive, there would seem to be little reason to visit DATONG, Shanxi's "northern capital", situated near the border with Inner Mongolia. Two huge coal-fired power stations sit in the outskirts and their fallout covers the streets, buildings and population in grime. However, several ancient sites mark the city's glory days as the capital of two non-Han Chinese dynasties, and it's certainly worth stopping here for a day. Chief among these is the magnificent series of Buddhist cave temples at Yungang, constructed during the rule of the Turkic Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).

Datong is also the closest city to Heng Shan, one of the five holy mountains of Taoism, whose most spectacular building, the Hanging Temple, is firmly on the tour agenda. It's also possible to use Datong as the jumping-off point for an excursion to the Buddhist centre of Wutai Shan.