A Brief Review of Attractions — Datong Ancient City

Datong Ancient City itself covers a large area. When we talk about touring Datong Ancient City, we mainly refer to visiting specific attractions inside the city, such as Huayan Temple, Nine Dragon Wall, Shanhua Temple, Prince Dai’s Mansion, and the Drum Tower. [Interest Level for Seniors] We visited Huayan Temple, Nine Dragon Wall, and Shanhua Temple in sequence. Among these three attractions, the seniors were most interested in the Nine Dragon Wall because of its fame; next was Huayan Temple, where they carefully examined the copper underground palace (which I felt was quite new); lastly was Shanhua Temple, probably because they got tired later on. [Physical Demand] Although the temples inside Datong Ancient City are not very large, there are many of them, so continuous touring can be quite tiring. It’s necessary to plan rest times well. [Dog Friendliness] The ancient city is open, but dogs are not allowed inside the attractions. You can view the Nine Dragon Wall from outside the fence with your dog. [Self-Driving Friendliness] Datong Ancient City is the most parking-friendly ancient city I have encountered, or rather, the traffic and parking in Datong City are very good. Whether for dining or visiting attractions, traffic jams and parking problems are rare. Huayan Temple has an underground parking lot, and there are several parking lots not far outside Shanhua Temple. However, it’s important to note that the attractions inside the city are neither too close nor too far from each other—walking is a bit far, but driving is a bit close. So, plan the touring order and parking spots carefully, or have the driver and passengers move separately. [Off-Season Friendliness] Open year-round, visiting in the off-season means less congestion, more parking availability, and fewer crowds at attractions. However, winters in Datong are quite cold.