North China
The old Northern Wei capital has more fifth-century carving than anywhere on earth: 51,000 Buddhas at Yungang, plus the Hanging Temple on Hengshan and a rebuilt old city that is honest about being a reconstruction. The quiet surprise of northern China.
The case for going
The great Buddha caves of the 5th century — go at opening, before the tour coaches.
The monastery pinned to the cliff at Hengshan, 75 km southeast.
The Ming glazed-tile screen, the largest in China.
The Liao-dynasty complex inside the old city.
The full circuit at dusk, with the towers lit.
The oldest wooden tower in the world, an hour south.
Practical
Continental, dry and cold. Clear skies most of the year.
Datong Yungang (DAT) flies from Beijing and Shanghai. The high-speed line from Beijing takes under two hours.
Airport. Datong Yungang Airport (DAT)
Rail. Datong South station: under 2 hours from Beijing by G train after the 2024 line upgrade.
In pictures
Questions travellers ask
Two days: the Yungang Grottoes with a full half-day, and the Hanging Temple plus the city wall on the second. It slots between Pingyao and Beijing or Hohhot.
Inside the restored ancient city wall — the night illumination is worth it and the morning streets are quiet. Yungang is 40 minutes out by car.
High-speed rail from Beijing — under two hours — or from Taiyuan on the Shanxi line. The grottoes and the Hanging Temple are both car excursions from the city.
Yes — the Yungang Grottoes are one of the three great Buddhist cave sites in China and the Hanging Temple is an engineering oddity worth the winding road.
Routes through here
North China
5days
The China that survived: a complete walled town where the first banks ran the empire, 51,000 Buddhas carved into a cliff in the fifth century, and the monastery pinned to a cliff face. Five days of the deepest history in the country, all by high-speed rail.
From US$1,350per person
Combine it with
Where to stay
Jianguo · Luxury
The established full-service hotel in Datong, central between the old city gates and the road to the Yungang Grottoes. Consistent rooms and a strong breakfast before the grotto morning.
From US$90 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
