Things To Do in Datong
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Datong Attractions
If you have time after a visit to Huayan Si, Datong's Jiulong Bi (Nine Dragon Wall; Da Dong Jie), east of Da Nan Jie (¥10; May-Sept 7:30am-7:30pm, Oct-Apr 8am-6pm; bus: no. 4) is a fine example of a spirit screen to fend off ghosts and evil spirits that can only move in straight lines. The brightly colored glazed wall with nine writhing dragons was built in 1392 in front of a prince's mansion, long ago razed by fire. The much-restored Shanhua Si, west of Nan Men Jie, last rebuilt in 1445, is also a pleasant escape from Datong's dusty streets. Most impressive are the beautiful timber doors of the Hall of Three Sages (San Sheng Dian; ¥20; 8am-6pm).
- Religious Site
Huayan Si
This monastery has separate upper and lower temples that share a lane. The upper temple's massive main hall, the Daxiong Bao Dian of 1140, is one of China's few surviving 12th-century buildings. Inside are the lined-up Buddhas of the Five Directions (including the center), seated on…Around Town
- Tour
Jing Xia You
One of Datong's latest travel fads is a visit to a local coal mine. You get to suit up in a real coal miner's outfit complete with boots and light-equipped helmet and spend 2 hours underground, albeit at a distance more comfortable than the coal miners are used to. A miner's elevator… - Religious Site
Xuankong Si
This temple, clinging to the side of a cliff in an impressive gorge, is composed of some 40 connected halls that appear to be supported by toothpicks. Looking more like a wooden model than anything weight-bearing, it is actually supported by sturdy timbers that extend deep into the… - Landmark
Ying Xian Mu Ta
Built in 1056 during the Liao dynasty, this impressive building is China's oldest surviving wooden pagoda. From the outside, it appears to have only five stories, though it actually has nine; and its complex system of supports includes 54 kinds of brackets. Frescoes on the ground… - Tour
Yungang Shiku
Influenced by the Buddhist site of Bamiyan in Afghanistan and the caves of Kizil and Kuqa (in Xinjiang), the stone carvings of Yungang are the earliest of their kind in China. Hewn in three stages between 460 and 524, they show the movement from a heavy reliance on Indian and central…Nearby places
