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 Datong, the second
largest city in Shanxi, is located at the
northern end of Shanxi Province and between the
inner and outer Great Wall. Datong has an area
of 14,200 square kilometers and a population of 2.88
million. Datong was one of the first group of
twenty four famous historical and cultural
cities approved by the State Council and also
one of the thirteen comparatively larger cities
approved by the State Council in 1984. This city
has many famous tourists attractions and
historical sites which are really worth
exploring and you should include this
famous place into your itinerary when you
are traveling around China. One attraction that
you will not see Photo: Hanging Temple in Datong
at any other place is the Incredible Hanging
Temple seen at Hengshan Mountain and this is one
of the most famous tourist attractions in Datong
and also one of the main places of interest in
Datong.
 Datong served as the
capital during the Northern Wei Dynasty
(386-534) and the secondary capital in the Liao
(916-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties. In
ancient China, Datong was a place of strategic
importance and a place where the Han people
frequently exchanged goods with the ethnic
minority people in north China. These
traditional method of trade has been continued
throughout the centuries. In Datong,
visitors can appreciate the undulating Great
Wall, imposing mountains together with a large
number of scenic spots and historical sites.
Datong is well known for many interesting
historical sites located here. When you are in
the city, the main part of Datong where all the
action is found is at the Red Flag Square which can be
seen at the intersection of Da Xijie and Xinjian
Nanlu.
Photo: Nine Dragon Wall
 Although it was an
ancient imperial capital, modern Datong is
nowhere close to its former greatness but things
has started to change. It has become
livelier and busier in recent times. The pace
seen here at this city is starting to speed up
with new shops and restaurants seen opening
everyday at each corner of town as more and
more tourists are traveling to this historical
city. Cheap accommodation is available and
this is great news for backpackers who will
really appreciate the beauty of his city. More and
more tourists are visiting Datong to admire the
famous places of interest such as the Cloud
Ridge Caves, Huayan Si and the Nine Dragon
Screen (Nine Dragon Wall) which are located inside the
beautiful ancient city walls. Other popular attractions
seen here in Datong include the Yungang Grottoes, Ancient
Lingqui Road, Shanhua Temple (also known as
Photo: Yungang Grottoes Sanhua Si or
South Temple), Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County and the
spectacular Hengshan Mountain which house the
magnificent Hanging Temple, also called the
Suspended Temple. To get more travel information
on Datong's transportation, hotels, recreation,
restaurants, shopping, travel services, useful telephone numbers,
please refer to the travel guide on Datong below.
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