Datong Two-Day Tour Guide

🏞【Destination Guide】 Datong is known as the 'Capital of Three Dynasties and a Key Town of Two Dynasties', and is referred to as the 'Northern Lock'. During the Northern Wei, Liao-Jin, and Ming-Qing periods, the cultures of the imperial city, frontier fortress, and Buddhism were all presented here, forming a distinct regional cultural characteristic. 🚗Transportation Guide: There are many high-speed train services from Beijing to Datong, and it only takes two hours to arrive, making it possible to visit Datong over a weekend. Depart from Qinghe Station on Saturday G2529, arriving in Datong at 9:28 am; return to Beijing on Sunday G2528, arriving at Qinghe Station at 9:28 pm. 🛏Hotel Information: Datong Hotel. Located in the center of Datong city, it has hosted many national leaders, has a large garden, and parking is very convenient, although the facilities are a bit old now. 🗓Itinerary: Day One: Datong Museum, Huayan Temple, Datong Ancient City night view. Day Two: Yungang Grottoes in the morning, continue exploring the Ancient City of Datong in the afternoon. 🌟Must-visit local spots: Yungang Grottoes: A landmark attraction of Datong, hailed as a 'treasure house of ancient Chinese carving art'. The stone Buddha statues here are lifelike and have been well-preserved for thousands of years, which is truly astonishing. Datong Ancient City: The ancient city has four gates: East Huyang Gate, South Yongtai Gate, West Qingyuan Gate, and North Wuding Gate. Above each gate, there is a gate tower, and outside the gates, there are barbicans, moon cities, and moats. On the city walls, there are 10 ancient buildings such as gate towers, Wenchang Pavilions, and arrow towers, 12 watchtowers, and 1 corner tower. Shanhua Temple: The Heavenly King Hall of Shanhua Temple is the largest existing Jin Dynasty Buddhist temple gate hall in China. The biggest highlight here is the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings built during the Ming Dynasty. Huayan Temple: It is one of the more complete preserved Liao Dynasty ancient architectural complexes in China. There are many Ming Dynasty statues and Qing Dynasty murals in the temple, with the biggest highlight being the 'Palms-together, Teeth-exposed Bodhisattva' statue in the Baoji Scripture Hall. Datong Museum: It is a national first-class museum and a cultural display window of Datong. 🍽Food Guide: Dongfang Shao Mian: A chain restaurant, I ate there twice this time, lunch on the first day and breakfast on the second day. The knife-shaved noodles are very authentic, and you can choose from five kinds of sauces, along with various side dishes, worth a try. Longjuxiang Shaomai Restaurant and Zini 369 Coarse Grain Season near the Drum Tower, the dishes are basically foolproof, feel free to order, the only downside is that it's crowded, so you need to go early to queue up. 📝Tips: All the attractions within the ancient city can be reached on foot, and cycling is more energy-saving. The night view of the ancient city wall is worth seeing, the most beautiful in China after Xi'an. The waiting time for dining places inside the ancient city is quite long, so plan ahead. The Yungang Grottoes are a bit far from the city center, we took a taxi to save time. The bus takes about 1.5 hours, you can take routes 3, 10, or 12 to get there.