Datong

Yungang Grottoes, the Hanging Temple and a Northern Wei ancient city: the northern gateway to Shanxi's ancient architecture, put on the map by the game Black Myth.

Datong sits at the far north of Shanxi Province in the Datong Basin, where Shanxi, Hebei and Inner Mongolia meet, at an elevation of about 1,000 m. The Northern Wei dynasty made it their capital (Pingcheng) for nearly a century, and under the Liao and Jin it was the Western Capital, leaving behind top-tier ancient architecture such as the Yungang Grottoes, Huayan Temple and Shanhua Temple. It is the northern gateway to Shanxi's ancient-architecture tour. The core sightseeing area falls into three parts. First, the city's Datong Ancient City (Huayan Temple, Shanhua Temple, the Nine-Dragon Screen, the Drum Tower and the replica-style streets inside the Ming city wall) and the Yungang Grottoes, 16 km to the west. Second, the Hanging Temple and Mount Heng, the Northern Sacred Mountain, in Hunyuan County to the south (about 70 km from the city). Third, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (about 80 km from the city), often combined with the Hanging Temple as a one-day trip. The climate is temperate continental monsoon. Summers are cool and dry, averaging under 22°C, making it a summer retreat for North China. May and September–October are clear and comfortable, and in autumn the best place to watch the sunset is the ancient city wall. Winters are bitterly cold, down to −20°C, and windy, but the Ancient City Lantern Festival (at Spring Festival) is the liveliest time. Getting there: high-speed rail from Beijing North or Qinghe Station to Datong South takes about 2 hours; from Taiyuan to Datong takes about 1.5–2 hours; Datong Yungang Airport has flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities. Datong South Station is about 20 minutes by car from the ancient city, and Bus 603 goes directly to the Yungang Grottoes. For the Hanging Temple and the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, charter a car or join a one-day tour (about ¥150–200 per person). Suggested itinerary of 3 days: Yungang Grottoes and the ancient city on day 1, the Hanging Temple, Mount Heng and the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda on day 2, and half a day for an in-depth visit to Huayan and Shanhua temples plus a night walk on the ancient city wall; if you are short on time, two days will do. Notes: the Yungang Grottoes require real-name reservations on the official mini-program. Climbing tickets for the Hanging Temple are limited, so go in the morning in peak season. Food in the ancient city is typified by knife-cut noodles, rabbit heads, lamb offal, huanggao (sticky millet cake) and Hunyuan cold jelly noodles, and Fenglinge shaomai is a long-established brand. The temperature difference between morning and evening is large, so bring a jacket even in summer. At this elevation UV is strong, so protect yourself from the sun.

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