Popular Night Attractions in Datong

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宜野座村司马懿

Under Mayor Geng's leadership, Datong, the coal capital, enjoyed clear blue skies and white clouds, rendering all the prepared protective gear unnecessary. The ancient city and various scenic spots were vibrant, with tourist buses connecting different attractions and guided tours available for payment via QR code. This trip to Datong lasted 4 days and 3 nights. The first night was spent within the scenic area at Tangfang Courtyard, a charming guesthouse converted from an old courtyard house. Airport pick-up was included, making it very convenient for exploring Southeast Yi. Breakfast included mutton offal noodles and knife-cut noodles; the mutton offal noodles used potato noodles, very authentic. The following two nights were spent at Huazhu Luxury No. 7 Mansion, inside Wuding Gate, offering views of Kuixing Pavilion and access to the North City Wall, which features a double barbican. Transportation was convenient. Datong boasts numerous temples. When purchasing Huayan Temple tickets online, I happened to catch a China Mobile discount, getting a 10 yuan ticket! 👍 Huayan Temple Square is a popular photo spot. The temple grounds are spacious, with plenty of people posing, including with bows and arrows. There are many props available. One particularly famous feature inside the temple is the Chiwen (a mythical creature), which is also excellent for photos against the backdrop of blue skies, red walls, and glazed tiles. Shanhua Temple is smaller. The attractions within the ancient city are concentrated, and there's a tourist shuttle bus. I recommend taking it first, spending about 20 minutes getting a feel for all the sights: the Nine Dragon Wall, the Prince Dai's Mansion, Fahua Temple, Kuixing Pavilion, and a short walk around the Drum Tower. The Prince Dai's Mansion, in particular, is stunning; the glazed tiles shimmer in the sunlight, with vibrant colors – a true test of photography skills! For a shared day trip, it's best to book a taxi directly with the driver when you pick them up from the airport; it's cheaper than through Ctrip. The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, Hanging Temple, and Yungang Grottoes form a triangular route. Generally, start with the Wooden Pagoda because there are no shops nearby, and in this cold, windy weather, there's nowhere to sit and drink coffee or tea around it. Feeling awkward having to use the heating in a souvenir shop while waiting for your travel companions is quite embarrassing. The Hanging Temple was great! The visitor center had food and drinks, and you could also enjoy the scenery. After eating and drinking, we took a shuttle bus to the temple. Of course, it was still very cold, and the wind was extremely strong. I didn't dare to take photos near the edge of the Xia Ke Pavilion, nor did I dare to take photos for long. I admired a few tourists with southern accents who weren't even wearing down jackets and were still complaining about the cold. The QR code explanation at the Yungang Grottoes was a bit verbose, and there were many tour groups on site, so I recommend listening to a guided tour instead. Each attraction had its own cultural significance, but the Hanging Temple was the most beautiful. Visiting the three attractions took a long time and was tiring on the legs. On such a cold day, it got colder and colder as we walked. Luckily, we had a chartered car, which was very warm. We drove along the national highway, seeing distant mountains, vast cornfields, loess plateaus, and poplar trees. Datong noodles are very famous, and the portions are huge; we always end up with leftovers. Longjuxiang's shumai came in a basket of nine, plus a plate of daylily buds and a serving of braised pork. The price was reasonable, and they even gave us a bottle of vinegar. Aside from the shumai, the other two dishes were barely noticeable after eating them. Kaige is still the best; they offer half portions, and this time a fellow car enthusiast recommended them. They also have the fried chicken, fish and fried dough twists in a pancake, and yogurt. Kaige's Fenjiu and Xinghuacun liquors are reasonably priced. I bought a bottle for someone, which drew some attention from the staff; I guess not many women in Datong drink alcohol. Everyone knows about Jewish concentration camps, and only recently have they learned about the mass graves of the Nanjing Massacre. I never imagined Datong had one too. The Japanese army illegally mined coal in Datong, throwing injured and sick miners into the pits. No wonder an 80s-born car enthusiast said he wouldn't go to Japan. What we've seen is only a small part of the story.

骑着蜗牛赶绿灯

The highlight is that it hides many national treasure-level ancient buildings such as the Yuan Dynasty murals of Yong'an Zen Temple and the Jin Dynasty brick pagoda of Yuanjue Temple. The ancient streets and alleys retain the original ecological atmosphere, and the cheap food experience is excellent when paired with authentic Hunyuan jelly and other cheap delicacies.