5 Sights in Datong, China (with Map and Images)

The Hanging Temple, also Hengshan Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery or Xuankong Temple is a temple built into a cliff near Mount Heng in Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, China. The closest city is Datong, 64 kilometres (40 mi) to the northwest. Along with the Yungang Grottoes, the Hanging Temple is one of the main tourist attractions and historical sites in the Datong area. Built more than 1,500 years ago, this temple is notable not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because as a Buddhist temple it also contains references to the other two of the three Chinese traditional philosophies or religions (三教): Taoism, and Confucianism. The structure is kept in place with oak crossbeams fitted into holes chiseled into the cliffs. The main supportive structure is hidden inside the bedrock. The monastery is located in the small canyon basin, and the body of the building hangs from the middle of the cliff under the prominent summit, protecting the temple from rain erosion and sunlight bake.

Wikipedia: Hanging Temple (EN)

The Yungang Grottoes, formerly the Wuzhoushan Grottoes, are ancient Chinese Buddhist temple grottoes built during the Northern Wei dynasty near the city of Datong, then called Pingcheng, in the province of Shanxi. They are excellent examples of rock-cut architecture and one of the three most famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China. The others are Longmen and Mogao.

Wikipedia: Yungang Grottoes (EN), Website

The glazed nine-dragon wall from Datong is a so-called yingbi. It was built around 1392 in front of the now destroyed palace complex of Prince Hongwu. The prince was the 13th son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. On the 45.5 m long, 8 m high and 2 m wide wall there are representations of different animals, including nine dragons. Dragons are an imperial symbol in China; The number nine, on the other hand, refers to longevity. The wall served as a eye protection and should also prevent evil spirits. The nine-dragon wall from Datong is considered the oldest and largest in China. There is a pond with a small stone bridge in front of the wall.

Wikipedia: Neun-Drachen-Wand (Datong) (DE)

The fourth archway, located in the center of the old city of Datong City, Shanxi Province, is a building composed of four connected archways. The four arches were built in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, when the general Xu Da was ordered to build Datong City, in order to strengthen the military might, praise merit, and build this building in the center of the city.

Wikipedia: 四牌楼 (大同) (ZH)

Li Yumei Tomb is located in the northeast of Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province, China, is the tomb of Li Yumei, the minister of the Qing Dynasty, commonly known as Lijia Tomb, was listed as a cultural relics protection unit in Shanxi Province in 1965, and was listed as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units in 2006.

Wikipedia: 栗毓美墓 (ZH)