Datong, Shanxi: The Ultimate Guide Within 1500 km

On the northeastern edge of the Loess Plateau, the Sanggan River winds its way, nurturing an ancient city with a millennium of history—Datong. Once the capital of the Northern Wei, the secondary capital of the Liao and Jin dynasties, and a microcosm of Ming and Qing frontier culture, it is known as "the capital of three dynasties, a key town of two eras." Today, with its rich historical relics and unique natural scenery, it has become a must-visit place for those exploring the civilization of northern frontiers. 1. Historical Sites: A Frozen Epic of Civilization • Yungang Grottoes: As one of China's three major grottoes, royal craftsmen of the Northern Wei spent a century carving over 51,000 Buddha statues into the cliffs of Wuzhou Mountain. Among them, the giant statues in Caves 5 and 6 reach 17 meters high, with flowing robes and solemn expressions. They bear traces of Indian Gandhara art while integrating the charm of Central Plains culture, marking a milestone in the Sinicization of Buddhist art. • Ancient City Wall: The Datong city wall, rebuilt during the Ming dynasty, stretches 7.2 kilometers in circumference and stands 14 meters high. The imposing wall is built with blue bricks, and its four corner towers complement the surrounding moat beautifully. Walking atop the wall at sunset, the silhouette of the arrow towers and the distant Huayan Pagoda reflect each other, as if you can hear the ancient frontier bugle calls. • Huayan Temple: A Buddhist temple from the Liao and Jin periods, the "Palms Joined, Teeth Exposed Bodhisattva" statue in the Bhikkhu Scripture Hall breaks the traditional solemnity of Buddhist statues with its lively posture and is praised as the "Venus of the East." The temple’s Mahavira Hall is the largest surviving Liao and Jin Buddhist hall in China, with a 4.5-meter-high roof ridge ornament, showcasing the grandeur of a royal temple. 2. Landscape: The Perfect Blend of Strength and Grace in the Northern Frontier Datong’s natural scenery combines the grandeur of the north with the elegance of the south. Outside the city stands Mount Hengshan, known as the Northern Peak, famous for its steep terrain and the Hanging Temple built on cliffs. This millennium-old temple, constructed during the Northern Wei, is integrated with the cliffs, and its "strange, perilous, and ingenious" architecture is breathtaking. The poet Li Bai once inscribed the word "magnificent" here. 3. Local Flavors: Stories of Taste and Streets Strolling through Datong’s ancient city, the air is filled with a rich sense of everyday life. Knife-cut noodles are the soul of the city; dough is sliced into willow leaf shapes by the chef’s hand, boiled in hot water, then topped with tomato and egg sauce or meat sauce, chewy and flavorful. The lamb offal noodle soup is made with a rich broth from lamb bones, mixed with offal and vermicelli, sprinkled with chili and coriander—one bowl warms you against the northern chill. The ancient city’s Sipailou and the network of streets preserve Ming and Qing architectural styles, where old-brand shops and trendy cafes coexist, telling stories of the blend of past and present. From the Buddhist chants of the Northern Wei to the frontier fires of the Ming and Qing, from the chisel marks in the grottoes to the brick patterns on the city walls, Datong has distilled a unique temperament over a thousand years. It is both a history textbook and a living painting, waiting for everyone to feel its warmth and listen to its stories.