Things to Do in Datong
Datong surprises people, and I was one of them. Sat on the northern edge of Shanxi where the loess plains meet the drier steppe soil, it is a coal and rail city that happens to hold some of the most important ancient art in China and one of the strangest temples ever built. I spent three days here and came away certain it deserves more than a transit stop between Beijing and the sights. Here is what to actually do.
See the Yungang Grottoes at Opening Time
The Yungang Grottoes, a World Heritage site of cliff-carved Buddhist caves from the fifth century, are the reason Datong is on the map. Dozens of caves hold thousands of statues cut directly into the sandstone cliff, with the giant central figures several storeys tall. Go at the very moment the gates open, because by mid-morning the tour groups turn the boardwalks into a slow traffic jam. Give the big caves time, and linger in the smaller ones, where the flying apsaras and carving details are untouched by the crowds.
Climb the Hanging Temple on the Cliff
Forty minutes out of town, the Hanging Temple is built onto the sheer face of a canyon with the beams wedged into sockets in the rock, looking like it has been glued there for a millennium and a half. Physical removal from the cliff face is part of why it survived earthquakes that flattened everything else for miles. Walk the narrow wooden corridors wedged between the rock and the railings, and understand why the limit on visitor numbers exists. Getting there for the first morning slot is the key to having it to yourself.
Walk the Circles of the Wooden Pagoda
The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, about an hour’s drive away, is the world’s oldest and tallest timber tower, a sweeping stack of eaves and brackets built with thousands of interlocking wooden joints and not a single nail. The interior is as astonishing as the exterior, its great Buddha and the dizzying structure above. You can no longer climb all the way up for safety reasons, but the ground level and the structure itself are worth the drive from the city. It pairs perfectly with a broader day into the old county.
Ride the Gondola to the Hanging Stone Gorge
Part of the same day trip as the temple, the Hanging Stone Gorge is a deep slot canyon with a footbridge and, for the energetic, a cable car to the rim above. It is more demanding than the temple visit, and the climb is real, but the reward is a dramatically narrow pass flanked by vertical walls. If the temple is Datong’s headline, this gorge is its adventurous footnote, and doing both back to back makes a full but excellent day out of the city.
Circle the Old City Wall
Datong kept and restored its enormous Ming city wall, and walking its full circuit gives you a sense of the scale of a frontier fortress city. The ramparts are broad, and from the top you look out over the new town spreading across the plain. It is especially good at dusk, when the wall lights come on and the whole rectangle glows. In the centre, the red wooden drum tower and the old street lattice nearby make a pleasant afternoon loop on their own.
Wander the Old Datong Street at Dusk
Back in the city, the restored old street keeps its red-timbered shop fronts and a lively pace in the evenings. It is a pleasant, walkable loop around the drum tower, with local snacks, shops, and a bit of the frontier spirit Datong is known for. Pair it with the wall walk at sunset and you have a full, satisfying city evening that rounds out the countryside days nicely.
Eat Lamb the Shanxi Way
This far north, the food runs to lamb, wheat, and mustard meat, and the local strong yellow liquor. Datong’s version of shaved noodles, pulled into broad strips and served with lamb and vinegar, is the dish to seek out, along with the region’s black and bubbling soup. The city’s bold local cooking is a highlight that rewards getting away from the hotel restaurant. A bowl of the local noodles in a busy working kitchen still sits as one of my favourite meals in China.
Practical Notes
Datong has a high-speed rail link to Beijing, roughly two hours, which makes it an easy long weekend or a detour on the way to the grasslands further north. The out of town sights, the caves, temple, and pagoda, are spread over a wide area, so base out of the city and use a hired car or driver for the day trips. Give it two full days, one for the caves and temple, one for the pagoda and gorge, and you will cover the essentials without rushing.
