Datong December Family Trip｜A New Chinese Aesthetic Journey at Jixia Mountain Hotel

In December in Datong, take your children to Jixia Mountain Hotel and embark on a parent-child cultural journey through time. This hotel, with new Chinese aesthetics as its pinnacle, is located beneath the ancient city wall of Datong. It perfectly blends the legacy of the Northern Wei dynasty with modern design, allowing children to experience the collision of history and culture while staying here. Such a family experience is unique and meaningful. The essence of Jixia Mountain lies in its fascination with the "cultural fusion zone." The founder Lai Guoping’s concept of "reaching the border of the heart" is vividly reflected in the Datong location. In December, Datong, as a frontier town where Central Plains and nomadic civilizations collide, clearly conveys this historical depth within the hotel. The hotel faces Heyang Gate across the street, creating a "new and old confrontation" between historic buildings and newly built courtyards. Walking with children through the five-entry courtyard, explaining Datong’s history, the kids listen attentively. The architectural language of the hotel is full of ingenuity, modeled on the Shanxi courtyard style of "majestic outside, elegant inside." The ancient opera stage transforms into the courtyard gate, the outdoor swimming pool is embedded in rammed earth walls, and Northern Wei dougong brackets become light and shadow installations. In the winter days of December, the light and shadow installations cast beautiful patterns on the walls. Children chase the light and shadows, playing joyfully. The designer also incorporated the spirit of the Yungang Grottoes’ "carving mountains into caves," with volcanic stone walls echoing the grotto textures and a narrow skylight corridor replicating the deep mystery of the caves. Exploring here with children feels like entering a small history museum. Jixia Mountain is never just about displaying culture; it is about incubating civilization. The guest rooms feature Ming dynasty-style furniture paired with Isamu Noguchi coffee tables, and the restaurant serves Liao and Jin dynasty banquets accompanied by a mix of experimental electronic music and Buddhist chant recitations. Experiencing these rich cultural collisions with children in December allows them to feel the charm of cultural fusion and broadens their horizons.