Datong overview

Even though visiting a Chinese city based around the coal mining industry may not seem like your dream holiday, Datong is not to be missed. Because it is located only a few hundred kilometers from Beijing, Datong has become a popular place for tourists to visit. Unfortunately, "popular" in Chinese euphemistic language usually means "dreadfully crowded" and Datong can definitely be that, so it is best to carefully plan your visit and avoid Chinese holidays. The main attraction in Datong is the Cloud Ridge Caves, which are a bunch of small caves containing tens of thousands of ancient carvings and images of Buddha, some of which are seven meters tall and over a thousand years old. Also near Datong is the Hanging Temple, which is built into the side of a cliff that is near Mount Heng. Come to Datong for the coal mining but stay for the culture.