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TravelTips24 : Asia : East Asia : China : Northern Central Region : Shanxi : Datong

Datong

Datong is a city in Shanxi Province in China.

Travel to Datong & Visa Requirements

By train

Daily overnight trains run from Beijing to Datong and from Datong to Beijing. A hardsleeper ticket costs around ¥250. Booking tickets at the Datong train station can be difficult as for popular directions a large part of the tickets are hatched by black market sellers when they become available four days before the train runs. So book your tickets from Datong as early as possible. The night trains arrive and start from Beijing West Station (Beijing Xi Zhan).

The quickest way southwards (Shanghai, Hongkong, etc.) is over Beijing, and beside the night train there is is daily morning train, starting at 8:50, costing ¥45 for a hardseater.

Tours & Getting around Datong

Buses to Datong

  • Bus 3-1 - runs from the bus station to the Yungang Caves.
  • Bus 3-2 - runs from the train staton into town and then to the Yungang Caves.
  • Bus 4 - runs from the train station into town.

Datong attractions and sightseeing

  • Drum Tower -Like many cities in China, Datong has its own Drum Tower. This is in the centre of town, but not open to the public.
  • The Hanging Monastery
  • Nine Dragon Screen - A 600-year-old screen made of glazed tiles and depicting nine dragons.
  • The Huayan Monastery - which has the largest wooden shrine hall in China
  • Yungang Grottoes -By far the greatest attraction of the area are the 1,500-year-old Yungang Grottoes. These mountain-side caves and recesses number more than 50 in all and are filled with 51,000 Buddhist statues - the largest being a 56-foot Seated Buddha while the smallest is only a few centimeters tall. In addition to the carvings of the Buddha, there are also scenes depicting Buddhist teachings and famous monks. The Yungang Grottoes are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take bus #3-1 or #3-2.
  • Red Flag Square - Evenings around the Red Flag Square are quite entertaining and full of locals.

Datong city tours

Datong souvenirs & shopping

Datong Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Datong nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Datong cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

Budget

  • Feitian Binguan, 1 Chezhan Qian Jie, ☎ (0352)2815117.  edit

Mid-range

  • Hongqi Dafandian, Houchezhan BeiLu, ☎ (0352)2816813(fax: (0352)2816671).  edit
  • Yanbei Binguan, 1 Yuhe Beilu, ☎ (0352)6024116(fax: (0352)6027287).  edit

Splurge

  • Datong Binguan, 37 Yingbin Xilu, ☎ (0352)2032476(fax: (0352)2035174).  edit

Get out

This page was last edited at 10:01, on 4 October 2008 by Aine Hickey. Based on work by M. Hogue, Simone Bravo and Stephen Jeapes, Wikitravel user(s) WindHorse, MurrayJ3, Pashley, Jelse and Nzpcmad and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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