Planning a Trip

Getting There

Datong's airport finally opened in 2006 and offers flights to Beijing (Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sun), Shanghai (Tues and Thurs) and Guangzhou (Mon and Fri). The airport is 15km (9 miles) east of the city and can be reached by buses from outside the Wuzhou Dajiudian on Binxi Lu (¥10/$1.30/£65p) or taxi (¥35/$4.55/£2.30).

There are plenty of trains between Beijing Xi Zhan and Datong, which take around 6 hours. Trains from Taiyuan take a similar length of time, although the N266, which leaves at 8:19am, is a little faster. Heading west, the Beijing-Baotou line has plenty of services, connecting Datong with Hohhot in around 4 hours.

Bus trips between Beijing and Datong take 4 hours. Large, deluxe buses now travel between the two cities, departing several times a day from the old long-distance bus station, near the railway station, and dropping passengers off at the Liuliqiao Bus Station in the west part of Beijing. Call tel. 0352/603-6784 for information; tickets costs ¥80 ($10/£5.20). Minivans for Beijing leave from outside the train station and charge around ¥100 ($13/£6.50); while they are slightly quicker than the buses you'll have to wait for the van to fill up with passengers. Air-conditioned buses connecting with Hohhot arrive and depart from the old bus station (¥70/$9.10/£4.55; 3 hr. 40 min.). Heading to Wutai Shan (4 hr.; ¥62/$8.05/£4.05) or Taiyuan (3 1/2 hr.; ¥65/$8.45/£4.25) you'll need to head to the bus depot on Yantong Xi Lu near Xingjian Bei Lu. Wutai Shan is served by buses at 8am and 4pm, and there are regular minivans to Taiyuan throughout the day.

Getting Around

Although the city is spread out, it can be toured on foot because the few tourist sights are in a fairly compact area south of Da Xi and Da Dong Jie. Rates for the two types of taxis are ¥6 (80¢/40p) for the first 3km (2 miles), then ¥1.20 (15¢/10p) per kilometer. Beyond 8km (5 miles), the fare is ¥1.80 (25¢/10p) per kilometer. Between 10pm and 7am, the first 3km (2 miles) are ¥6 (80¢/40p), then ¥1.80 (25¢/10p) per kilometer. Most trips within 3km (1.8 m) in the city are ¥6 to ¥9 (80¢-$1.20/40p-60p). For longer trips, negotiate a price before you set off.

Tours

A CITS office just inside the main entrance to the railway station (tel. 0352/510-1326; fax 0352/712-4882) offers useful 1-day tours to the Hanging Monastery and the Yungang Buddhist Caves, or to the Hanging Monastery and the wooden pagoda in Ying Xian. The tour starts at 9am from the Yungang Hotel, and departs at 9am from the station; the cost is ¥100 ($13/£6.50), or ¥220 ($29/£14) including entrance fees. Some visitors arrive overnight from Beijing, take this tour, and return overnight. CITS also has offices outside the Yungang Hotel (tel. 0352/510-2777).

Fast Facts

Banks, Foreign Exchange and ATMs -- The main Bank of China (Yingbin Lu near Hongqi Nan Jie; Mon-Fri 8am-noon and 2:30-6:30pm) has full-service foreign exchange and an ATM that accepts international cards.

Internet Access -- Internet cafes can be found throughout the city; a convenient wangba is directly opposite the railway station. Dial-up is tel. 169.

Post Office -- The main post office is on Hongqi Square (8am-6:30pm).

Visa Extensions -- The PSB (Gonganju; open Mon-Fri 8am-noon and 3-6:30pm) is on Xinjian Bei Lu. Visas can be extended while you wait.