Destination
Home of the Yungang Grottoes and the cliff-hanging Hanging Temple — northern Shanxi's Buddhist-art capital.
Best time
May–Oct
Recommended
2 days
Tags
history · culture
Updated
7/11/2026
Datong was a Northern Wei capital and guards two of China's most extraordinary sights: the Yungang Grottoes (51,000 carved Buddhas in sandstone caves, 5th century, UNESCO) and the Hanging Temple (a 1,500-year-old monastery pinned to a sheer cliff). The rebuilt old town and Nine-Dragon Screen round out a compact, high-density history stop 2 hours by rail from Beijing.
The Hanging Temple (悬空寺) is ~65 km southeast, usually combined with a same-day trip. Go early; the walkways are narrow and cap visitor numbers at peak times. Book the extra ¥100 climb-up ticket on site to actually walk the suspended halls.
Show this to locals
Tap "Copy 中文" and hand your phone to a taxi driver or hotel front desk.
Show this to your driver
Yungang Grottoes
云冈石窟
山西省大同市云冈区云冈镇
16 km west of the city; bus 3 from the old town. Allow 2–3 hr.
Show this to your driver
Hanging Temple (Xuankong Si)
悬空寺
山西省大同市浑源县恒山金龙峡
Arrive before 10 AM to avoid queues on the cliff walkways.
