Datong and Shuozhou Travel Guide

Basic information Area code: 0352 Emergency phone: 110, 119, 120 Medical treatment Datong Fifth People’s Hospital Address: No. 1, Wenxing Road, Yudong New District, Datong City Tel: 0352-2043891 Datong Third Hospital Address: No. 1 Medical Street, Datong City Tel: 0352-5556001 […]

Basic information

Area code: 0352
Emergency phone: 110, 119, 120

Medical treatment

Datong Fifth People’s Hospital
Address: No. 1, Wenxing Road, Yudong New District, Datong City
Tel: 0352-2043891
Datong Third Hospital
Address: No. 1 Medical Street, Datong City
Tel: 0352-5556001

Destination Overview

 

Destination sketch

 
Datong is an ancient capital with the reputation of “The Capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty”, “Liao Jin Jing Hua”, and “the town of Ming and Qing Dynasties.” modern civilization and ancient culture are perfectly integrated in Datong City.

Culture

Shanxi opera has strong color of local culture, the most important is the four major songs, active in the north of the area is Beilu bangzi, deeply loved by people in the surrounding areas of northern Shanxi, northern Shaanxi, northwest Heibei and Inner Mongolia.

Best Travel season

The best tourist season is from May to October.

Currency and Consumption

 

Consumption level

The level of consumption in Shanxi is relatively low, with about 20 yuan per meal, and the Youth Hostel is about 40 per bed. The level of daily consumption in the local area is not high. However, the ticket prices for some scenic spots are relatively high, and the entrance fee is a large expenditure.

Food

The climate in northern Shanxi is cold. Locals like to eat hot noodles, potatoes, corn, etc. together with radish, tofu and pickles.

Practical information

Datong Tourism Bureau
Address: 3rd Floor, Government Network Service Center, Xiangyang Market, Datong
Tel: 0325-5137307
Www.dttour.gov.cn

Intercity traffic

 

Aircraft

Datong Yungang Airport, DAT
Datong Airport Flight Information: 0352-5660956; 5688112; 5688114
Civil Aviation Datong Airport Ticket Office
Address: No. 14 Yingbin East Road
Tel: 0352-5101747; 5100905
Datong Civil Aviation Business Building Ticket Office
Address: No. 1 Nanguan West Street
Tel: 0352-2043388; 2044039
Xinjinyuan Ticket Office
Address: Green Park Guest House, Provincial Military District
Tel: 0352-5102777; 5101177

Train

Datong Railway Station
Address: Station Street, North District, Downtown
Arrival method: You can arrive at the bus number 2, 4, 8, 14, 16, 21, etc. Tel: 0352-7122922 (24 hours)
Telephone number: 0352-7122252
Ticket booking: 0352-6082747 (9:00-16:00 daily); 0352-2813240 (14:30-17:00 daily)
City ticket office Tel: 0352-2204350 Nanguan ticket office Tel: 0352-2043502

Long Distance Bus

Datong Bus Station
Address: Weidu Avenue (near the three hospitals)
Tel: 0352-6036784; 6112484
Long Distance North Station
Address: 200 meters west of the railway station Tel: 0352-2814880
New Pingwang Passenger Station
Tel: 0352-4042099; 7024257
Xinnan Coach Station
Arrival method: take bus 11,19,28,30,16,201, etc.
Tel: 0352-5025222; 5032555; 5999014

Bus

There are more than 30 bus lines in Datong City, and it is very convenient to reach various places in the city.
Shuozhou has 3 round-trip routes, nearly 10 bus lines, and a fare of 1 yuan. From the train station to the famous ancient building Chongfu Temple, about 15 minutes walk.
Datong City Bus Service Tel: 0352-5037817

Taxis

The taxi starting price in Datong City is 6 yuan/3 kilometers.
Taxi hotline: 0352-2048688; 5025588
Taxi complaints phone: 0352-96566

Attractions

 

Yungang Grottoes

Yungang Grottoes, one of the three major cave clusters in China, punctuate the north cliff of Wuzhou Mountain, Datong. The area was excavated along the mountain, extending 1 km (0.62 miles) from east to west, revealing 53 caves and over 51,000 stone statues.
The grottoes are divided into east, middle, and west parts. Pagodas dominate the eastern parts; west caves are small and mid-sized with niches. Caves in the middle are made up of front and back chambers with Buddha statues in the center. Embossing covers walls and ceilings.
Started in 450, the grottoes is a relic of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). Absorbing Indian Gandhara Buddhist art, the sculptures here developed traditional Chinese art melded with social features of the time.
During the reign of Emperor Xiao Wen a monk named Tanyao took charge of the construction of Yungang Grottoes. The largest cave is No.6, which is 20 meters (65.6 foot) high, standing a 15-meter (49.2-foot)-high pagoda-like column decorated with Buddha statues and designs. On the four sides of the tower pillar, and on the east, south and west walls of the cave, 33 embossed panels depict the story of Saykamuni.
Address: Yungang Tourism Area, Datong City, Shanxi Province, China
Arrival method: Take the 3-2 Road Yungang Grotto bus to the entrance of the scenic area. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes, the fare is 2.5 yuan, and the taxi costs about 30 yuan.
Opening hours: From April 1st to October 15th 8:30-17:30, October 16th to March 31st 8:30-16:50; Exhibition Hall April 1st to October 15th Day 9:30-17:00, October 16 to March 31, 8:30-16:30
Tickets: 125 yuan for the peak season, 80 yuan for the off-season; children under 1.4 meters, active military personnel, and disabled persons with valid certificates, 60-year-old or older with valid documents, free ticket, full-time students with valid documents half price
Tel: 0352-3029625
Tour.yungang.org

Hanging Monastery

Hanging Monastery stands at the foot of Mt. Hengshan, 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Hunyuan County, and 65 kilometers (40 miles) from downtown Datong City. Since it hangs on the west cliff of Jinxia Gorge more than 50 meters above the ground, it is called Hanging Monastery.
Address: Huyuan County, Shanxi Province
Arrival method: About 70 kilometers away from Datong City, take a shuttle bus to Huyuan at Datong Bus Station. The fare is 25 yuan. Every 6 minutes from 6:30-18:00.
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00 in summer and 8:30-17:30 in winter
Tickets: 124 yuan from March 1 to November 30, 115 yuan from December 1 to the end of February; 90-year-old or older, military, disabled, revolutionary disabled soldier, active duty soldier, etc.
Tel: 0352-8327795; 8327300

Heng Mountain

Mt. Hengshan, one of the most famous ‘Five Sacred Mountains (Wu Yue)’ in China, is located about 62 kilometers south to Datong City of Shanxi Province. It attracts people by its natural sceneries and man-made landscaping. Chinese recorded history tells us that Emperor Shun (circa 2372 BC) toured his northern domain years ago, and he was so impressed by the sight of Mt. Hengshan that he proclaimed it the ‘North Mountain’ (Bei Yue). Many later emperors had also come to visit. The renowned traveler Xu Xiake came to visit in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and left behind Hengshan-inspired writings. Others did similar things.
Address: Yungang Tourism Area, Datong City, Shanxi Province, China
Arrival method: Take the 3-2 Road Yungang Grotto bus to the entrance of the scenic area. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes, the fare is 2.5 yuan, and the taxi costs about 30 yuan.
Opening hours: From April 1st to October 15th 8:30-17:30, October 16th to March 31st 8:30-16:50; Exhibition Hall April 1st to October 15th Day 9:30-17:00, October 16 to March 31, 8:30-16:30
Tickets: 125 yuan for the peak season, 80 yuan for the off-season; children under 1.4 meters, active military personnel, and disabled persons with valid certificates, 60-year-old or older with valid documents, free ticket, full-time students with valid documents half price
Tel: 0352-3029625
Tour.yungang.org

Huayan Monastery

The Huayan Monastery complex is located on Daxi Street on the south western side of Datong City, Shanxi Province. There are two separate sections to the monastery, the upper one referred to as the Grand Hall housing five large Ming Dynasty Buddhas, and the lower section referred to as the Sutra Temple containing a library of some 18,000 volumes of Buddhist writings. Built during the Liao Dynasty (907 – 1125), it is the largest and best preserved monastery of the Liao Dynasty in existence in China. It was built according to the Huayan Sutra Sect of the Huayan School and is unique in that it faces east instead of south.
Address: No.459, Xiashipo Street, Datong City
Arrival method: Bus No.2, No.15, No.28 to the Weiyuan Road, Qingyuan Street, stop at the opening hours: 8:00-17:30 (17:00 stop ticket sales)
Tickets: 80 yuan, children under 1.2 meters in height, seniors over 70 years old holding old cards, officers holding military IDs free of charge; children height 1.2-1.4 meters, 60-69 years old old people holding old age cards, students holding student ID tickets 50% off
Tel: 0352-2061480; 2427053

Shanhua Ancient Monastery

Shanhua Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Datong, Shanxi Province, China. The temple was first founded during the early 8th century of the Tang Dynasty, but its earliest surviving building dates from the 11th century.
Address: No. 9 South Temple Street, Datong (Near South City Wall)
Transportation: Take Bus No. 17 and get off at Hualin Commercial Building Station. Go south to Yonghe Fast Food Shop. Turn to the opening hours: Summer 8:30-18:00, Winter 8:00-17:30
Tickets: 50 yuan
Tel: 0352-2539436
Www.dtshs.com

Nine-Dragon Screen

The Datong Nine Dragon Screen, built over 600 years ago, is presently the oldest and largest glazed screen in China today. It is three times larger than that in Beihai Park , Beijing City. Beijing City.
The screen, built for the thirteenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), has been well preserved and remains intact to this day. It is made up of 426 specially-fired glazed bricks, with a height of 8 meters (about 26 feet), 2.02 meters (6.6 feet) thick and 45.5 meters (149 feet) long. The Screen can be divided into three parts, the pedestal, body and roof.
Address: Yanghe Street, Datong City
Arrival method: Take Bus No. 4, 17, 23 and 27 to get off at Nine Dragon Wall Station to open: Summer 8:00-18:00, Winter 8:30-18:00
Tickets: 10 yuan (student, 60-70-year old half-price, 70-year-old or older and military voucher free ticket)
Tel: 0352-2054788

Datong Tulin (earth forest)

Datong Tulin is below the horizon. This is a peculiar place. The length and width of the earth forest divided into east and west sides by a water area is more than 1 km. Different types of soil layers can be seen in the forest. There is basically no plant growth in the soil. The earth peak is similar to the famous Yadan landform in Xinjiang.
Address: Duzhuang County, Datong County
Transportation: About 25 kilometers from Datong City along the road leading to Wuyuan Hengshan

Fangshan Yonggling Mausoleum

The Yonggu Mausoleum is the mausoleum of Empress Feng (442-490), formally Empress Wenming and the wife of Emperor Wencheng of the Northern Wei dynasty of Chinese history. The tomb is located on a mountain about 25 kilometers from the city of Datong, in In Shanxi Province. When her husband died in 465, Empress Dowager Wenming became regent until her stepson, Emperor Xiaowen, attained his adulthood. While Emperor Xiaowen assumed the imperial powers upon adulthood, she had highly influential until her death in 490.[1] This Was at the time Buddhism became a state religion and Empress Dowager Wenming was responsible for the imperial shrines at Yungang Grottoes.
Address: Near zhenchuanbao in the north of Datong City

Jinhuagong Coal Mine

Here is a tourist project that embodies the characteristics of coal. The main area is located 300 meters below the ground and shows the Jurassic coal seam which is 140 million years old.
Address: 12.5 kilometers west of Datong City, separated from the world cultural heritage Yungang Grottoes by a river: Take the No. 3 bus from the train station to the scenic intersection
Opening hours: 9:00-15:00 Tickets: 100 yuan
Tel: 0352-7086666

Datong volcano group

Datong Volcanic Group is one of the Quaternary volcanic groups in China and is also a famous group of extinct volcanoes in North China. Volcanoes were discovered in the 1930s and Neolithic sites were found nearby.
Arrival method: Take bus No. 201 at Datong Railway Station and get off at the end of Datong County. You can look at the volcano on the way. Car rental to volcanoes such as Jinshan, Xiali 60 yuan / half-day. Only go to Jinshan, go 40 yuan, one-way for about half an hour. Lutian Temple is 1.5 kilometers from the station, three-wheeled motorcycles reach the mid-hills, and it is a 10-minute walk away.
Opening hours: 8:00-18:30
Tickets: 5 yuan.

Itinerary

 

Weidu style tour route

Yungang Caves – Huayan Temple – Shanhua Temple – Drum Tower – Nine Dragon screen

Humanistic Heng Mountain Tour

Hanging Temple – Heng Mountain – Huyuan Yongan Temple – Yuanjue Temple Tower

Shopping

Egg Carving, Yungang Silk Doll, Artistic Porcelain, Corn Husk Plaited Articles

Shuozhou

 

Intercity traffic

 

Train

Luzhou Railway Station
Address: East Gate Street, Shengzhou City
Ticket Office Telephone: 0349-2023820
Booking telephone: 0349-6886777

Long-distance bus

Luzhou Coach Terminal
Address: Luzhou Railway Station Square
Tel: 0349-2076738

Zhangzhou Bus Station North Station
Arrival method: The train station is accessible by the North Central bus

Attractions

 

Chongfu Temple

Commonly known as the Damiao Temple, it is seated at East Jie in the Shuocheng District. It was first built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), being the most intact and largest ancient building complex in Datong and Shuozhou Region.
Address: No.94 East Street, Xiangcheng District, Zhangzhou City
Opening hours: Winter 8:30-17:00; Summer 8:00-18:00
Tickets: 30 yuan
Tel: 0349-2023425

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda

It was constructed in the year of 1056 located in the Fogong Temple northwest of Yingxian County. As the oldest and highest extant wooden pagoda in China, it is a rare treasure in Chinese ancient architecture. The exquisite structure with fine subtle Buddha statues sacrificed inside brings great value on the research of the pagoda in terms of religion and architecture.
Arrival method: Datong to Yingying County is about 76 kilometers. Datong Xinnan Coach Terminal has a shuttle bus to Yingxian County every day from 6:30 to 18:30. Every 20 minutes, the fare is 16 yuan. Arrive at Yingxian bus station and take a three-wheeled motorcycle or taxi to the wooden tower
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00 Tickets: Adult ticket 50 yuan
Tel: 0349-5035244
Www.yxmt.net.cn

Yingxian Pure Land Temple

The Pure Land Temple was first built in the Tang Dynasty after the Five Dynasties. The main hall is the original of the Jin Dynasty. There are 9 wells in the ceiling of the hall. The largest top graving dragon and phoenix pattern in the middle of the hall is used to decorate the Tiangong Pavilion. It is said that there are thousands of wood used to built the temple. There are daily Buddhist activities within the temple and you should keep quiet while visiting.
Address: Northeast of Yingzhou City, Shengzhou City

Jinbei Great Wall

The Great Wall has been built in Shanxi since the Warring States Period. The Great Wall that we can see now is built in Ming Dynasty. The two Great Walls inside and outside basically covered most of northern Shanxi. Great Wall culture is deeply rooted in this ancient land. Nowadays, the vicissitudes of the Great Wall in the north of Shanxi Province are part of Shanxi culture and are deeply loved by cultural tourists.

Ningwu Pass

It is Concerned about the ever-present threats of the northern Mongolian tribes, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) determined to strengthen the northern borders by extending the Great Wall. In central Shanxi Province, which used to be the northern border in the Ming Dynasty, you can find three important passes known as the Three Outer Passes of the Great Wall. The grand Yanmenguan Pass stands in the east, and the Pianguan Pass lies in the west. Sitting in the central area and acting as the garrison headquarters is the Ningwuguan Pass. It is sandwiched by the Huagai Mountain in the north and the Phoenix Mountain and the rippling Huihe River in the south.

Yanmen pass

It is a mountain pass which includes three fortified gatehouses along the Great Wall of China. The area was a strategic choke point in ancient and medieval China, controlling access between the valleys of central Shanxi and the Eurasian Steppe. This made it the scene of various important battles, extending into World War II, and the area around the gatehouses and this stretch of the Great Wall is now a AAAAA-rated tourist attraction
Arrival method: From the county chartered car to Yanmen pass, Baicaokou, JiuGuangwu, 1st round trip, the entire journey is about 150 yuan
Tickets: 90 yuan (Yanmen pass City)

Piantou pass

Piantou pass is located on the north bank of the Guanhe River in the middle of this Guancheng County. The existing city walls are irregular in shape, 1100 meters in length from east to west
Arrival method: There is a shuttle bus between Piantouguan and Zhangzhou, Ningwu and Shenchi. The train from Inner Mongolia to Taiyuan passes through the offset. There are two shuttles to Piantou at 7:00 and 12:30 in Cangzhou. The journey takes approximately 3 hours.
Tickets: 20 yuan

Pingxing pass

There is a section of the Great Wall of China there.
The Battle of Pingxingguan was fought here between the National Revolutionary Army’s 8th Route Army of the Republic of China (under the Chinese Party) and the Imperial Japanese Army on September 25, 1937.
Arrival method: Pingxingguan is 15 kilometers away from Lingqiu County, which can be chartered to

Food

rainbow trout, buckwheat, oatmeal, sea buckthorn juice

Shopping

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