Shanxi is a treasure province. Although it has many cultural heritages, it has never been a popular tourist destination.
In fact, in this province called "China Coal Capital" by textbooks, there is a famous city outside the Great Wall that completely subverts our understanding of Shanxi.
It is one of the nine ancient capitals of China, which is equally famous with Beijing and Xi. It is the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the capital of Liao and Jin Dynasties.
It has a history of more than 2,300 years and is the starting point of the Northern Silk Road.
It is the "city in the clouds" and "health paradise" in the minds of Shanxi people, and the air quality in the province is top1;
It is the Millennium ancient capital where history and present coexist: Datong, Shanxi!
Datong, a low-key city, once became the first famous city in northern China.
When you come to Shanxi, you can miss Taiyuan and Jinzhong, but you must not miss Datong. There are shocking religious arts, unique ancient capital customs, magnificent frontier scenery and famous northern Shanxi cuisine.
What is even more rare is that Datong in summer is particularly refreshing, and the temperature of 25 degrees makes it a veritable summer resort.
0 1. Yungang Grottoes
Yungang Grottoes is the highest stone carving art in China in the 5th century, and it is also one of the four largest grottoes in China.
Grottoes are dug along the mountain, stretching about 1 km from east to west. There are 5 1 main caves and more than 5 100 statues.
The scenic spot is divided into landscape area and cave group, among which the third cave is the largest cave in Yungang, and the fifth and sixth caves are double caves with exquisite murals. There is also a grotto museum in the scenic area, which can fully understand the history of grottoes.
Tickets: 120 yuan
02. Hanging Temple
Hanging Temple, because the whole temple is like hanging on a cliff, is rated as "the most dangerous and peculiar building in the world".
With a history of 1500 years, it is the earliest and best-preserved high-altitude wooden cliff building in China.
The whole temple is a wooden frame structure. The most amazing thing is that it relies on tenon-mortise structure and has no thousand tons of foundation. Although it has experienced landslides and earthquakes, it still stands.
Tickets: 25 yuan in peak season/boarding fee 100 yuan; Off-season 17 yuan/boarding fee 100 yuan.
03. Shanhua Temple
Shanhua Temple is the largest and most well-preserved temple group in Liao and Jin Dynasties in China, with a history of nearly a thousand years.
The overall structure of the temple is well preserved. The main building of the whole temple faces south along the central axis, with the mountain gate in the south, three temples in the middle and the Hall of the Great Hero in the north.
Four donkey kong and Eighteen Arhats, the biggest scenic spots in the temple, are relics of Liao Dynasty, and the exquisite Wulong Wall is also worth seeing.
04. Huayan Temple
Huayan Temple was built in western Liaoning in seven years. It is the largest and most well-preserved temple in Liao and Jin Dynasties in China.
Huayan Temple is divided into Upper Huayan Temple and Lower Huayan Temple.
The most noteworthy thing about Shanghuayan Temple is the Daxiong Hall, which was the largest Buddhist hall in Liao and Jin Dynasties in China.
There are many statues of Liao Dynasty in Xiahuayan Temple, among which "Bodhisattva with crossed hands and claws" is the most famous, and is known as "Venus of the East".
Admission: 65 yuan.
05. Yingxian Wooden Pagoda
Yingxian wooden pagoda has a history of more than 940 years. It is also known as the "Three Wonders of the World" with the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and is recognized by Guinness as the tallest wooden tower in the world.
The whole tower is equipped with wooden stairs, which can climb to each floor step by step. The most special thing is that the Buddha statues enshrined in this tower are very large and have superb carving skills.
Admission: 50 yuan.
Transportation: Datong Xinnan Bus Terminal has a shuttle bus to Yingxian County.
06. Guandi Temple
Guandi Temple is a relic of the Yuan Dynasty and the only building in Datong in the Yuan Dynasty.
The main buildings are arranged well along the central axis, and gradually there are mountain gates, halls, east-west corridors and main halls. The wing angle of the main hall is inclined and the bucket arch is unique.
Transportation: Take bus 17 and get off at Jiulongbi Station.
In addition, Datong also has the first Confucian temple outside Confucius' hometown-Datong Confucian Temple, as well as Huokeji and Yuanjue Temple. Wandering in these grottoes and temples, you will marvel at the cultural value of Datong!
0 1. Jiulongbi
Jiulong Wall is the most complete, oldest and largest existing dragon wall in China, and it is also one of the walls in four great dragons, China.
The wall is composed of colored glazed components, and the nine dragons have different shapes. Every two dragons are connected by aquatic plants, white clouds and rocks, which shows the superb carving skills in ancient China.
02. Datong Ancient City Wall
Datong City Wall, which was built in Ming Dynasty, is one of the most intact ancient city walls in China.
Although the ancient city wall is tall and strong, it was partially damaged due to war and other reasons. Today's city wall was restored after 2008, so we can see a relatively complete shape of the city wall.
Datong city wall is not only magnificent during the day, but also can enjoy its colorful and unconventional temperament from a distance or on board at night.
03. Datong Drum Tower
Datong Drum Tower has a history of 552 years, which witnessed the vicissitudes of the ancient city.
The drum tower is about 20 meters high, with three-story brick and wood pavilions, doors on all sides and cloisters around each floor. There used to be a big drum on the top floor to tell the time at night, but now it doesn't exist.
04. Datong Museum
Datong Museum, with its unique design and exquisite internal display, is a rare boutique among the second-class museums in China and a good place to learn about Datong history.
There are more than 70,000 cultural relics in the museum, and the "treasure of the town museum" is the blue glazed porcelain pillow of Guanghan Palace in Yuan Dynasty. This treasure unearthed in Wulidian, west of Datong City is the best blue and white porcelain in Yuan Dynasty, which can be paid special attention to.
In addition, Datong also has the site of Tang Ming in the Northern Wei Dynasty where Mulan visited Emperor Xiaowen, and the only archway in the center of the ancient city in China, such as the four archways with royal style and the Daiwangfu.
0 1. Hengshan Mountain
Hengshan Mountain is the northern mountain in the "Five Mountains" and the holy land of Taoism.
There are Tianfengling, Cuipingfeng, Qianfoling and other scenic spots in the scenic area. Generally speaking, "Dahengshan" refers to Tianfengling.
Huixianfu is a place not to be missed. There are many wall carvings here, and it is also the tallest building in Hengshan Mountain. Surrounded by Huangyuting, Yubei Pavilion, Qinqitai and Tongyuan Valley, etc.
Peach blossoms are in full bloom on Mount Hengshan in spring, which is the best time to play in Mount Hengshan.
Admission: 47 yuan in peak season/43 yuan in low season.
02. Datong soil forest
Datong Stone Forest is the only known soil forest scenic spot in northern China.
The soil forest is located in an area about one kilometer from east to west and three kilometers from north to south. Soil columns and walls naturally form various shapes, which are spectacular and beautiful.
03. Datong Volcano Group
Datong Volcano Group is one of the Quaternary volcanic groups in China, which is divided into four regions: east, west, south and north.
Among them, the western volcano is the most dense and spectacular part of the volcanic cone landscape. These volcanic cones suddenly rose like underground ghosts, and it felt like they had come to the mysterious Jurassic from a distance.
Besides, you can also see the Sanggan River, the ruins of the Great Wall over 520 kilometers, various beacon towers and the scenery outside the Great Wall, such as Shengli Castle, one of the four castles outside the Great Wall, and Lu Zhen Castle, one of the five castles with side walls.
Datong is a famous gourmet capital in China, and Datong cuisine is also a representative of northern Shanxi cuisine.
There are many kinds of food in Datong, the most representative of which are the following:
0 1. Daoxiao Noodles
This is the most famous food in Datong. The method is to cut the leaves with a knife and slide the inner ribs outside the entrance.
Recommended restaurants: Oriental Noodles and Laochai Noodles.
02. Mutton noodle soup
Mutton soup is made of sheep's head, hoof, heart, liver and intestines, and some yam vermicelli is mixed in it, which is oily but not greasy.
03. Rabbit head
The rabbit head here has three flavors: spiced, braised and spicy. The delicious rabbit heads are concentrated in Shuaifu Street.
04. Hunyuan bean jelly
The most distinctive feature of Hunyuan's bean jelly is the addition of unique lotus bean, dried bean curd and Chili oil, which you have to eat when you go to Hengshan.
05. Datong copper hotpot
This is a high-grade pot cabbage in Shanxi traditional flavor. There is a small cylindrical vent in the middle of the pot, which is used to hold vegetables and is surrounded by charcoal fire.
Recommended restaurant: Grandma Lin's home-cooked dish
06. Datong grilled meat strips
Roast pork strips are also called small roast meat. In terms of baking method, the former is baked in large pieces and the latter in small strips.
Besides, don't miss Datong's oat noodles, yellow cakes, steamed dumplings and fried helmet bottoms.
When you come to college, Daoxiao Noodles and mutton offal powder are the first choice for breakfast, and tofu powder and steamed stuffed bun are also good porridge. You can choose Shanxi's unique pasta or local dishes for dinner, and the coarse grain restaurant is the most recommended. The consumption is not high, and you can also eat delicious food beyond the Great Wall.
I especially recommend a shop called Ji Sun Steamed Buns, which serves both Chinese food and fast food, as well as some Cantonese food. The food is delicious.
0 1. Going to Hengshan will pass through the Hanging Temple, and the two places can be arranged in one day;
02. It takes at least half a day to visit Yungang Grottoes, and you can also join Huayan Temple in the city.
03. Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is located in Shuozhou City and needs to go alone;
04. There are Yungang Airport and Datong Railway Station in Datong. It is recommended to arrive by plane or train.
This is Datong, a treasure town that may never have been included in your travel list.
Might as well find a time to have a look!