2 Days Private Datong Tour from Beijing

In the morning, you will go to Beijing North Railway Station for a 2-hour-20-minute high speed train journey to Datong on your own. We will book the round-trip train tickets for you in advance. Since the upgrade of the ticket checking system, now you just need to have your passport swiped at the entrance to get inside the station. After arriving at Datong, the local guide and driver will pick you up and escort you to the hotel booked on your own.Take a rest, and we will start from the Yungang Grottoes, the remains of a grotto temple – the only grotto temple patronized by imperial family in China’s history - of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 – 534 AD) and also one of a few largest ancient grottoes in China. There are 45 main caves, 1,100 niches and 59,000 Buddhist statues. All the caves are carved into a mountain that stretches for 1 kilometers (0.62 miles) from east to west. Displaying historical, architectural, musical and other aspects of the Buddhist art, it represents the combination of Chinese and Western cultures and the supreme achievement of the Buddhist art in 5th to 6th century. A study on each cave’s shape, statues and patterns has divided the development of the grotto art into three stages. In the early period, it was of great momentum in bold and simple style and affected by the carving art of ancient India. The middle stage featured exquisite carvings and splendid decoration, which illustrates the first peak Chinese Buddhist art reached during the dynasty. The caves in the last stage were carved small and the included statues became much slender, a body shape that Chinese ancestors deemed attractive, reflecting the blend of original Buddhist art into Chinese culture.

After the visit, we will transfer you back to your hotel. Wish you have enjoyed the day!

► Dinner Suggestion: 
Just 10 minutes’ walk from Yungang Meigao Hotel, where you will overnight, there is a restaurant named Tian Yuan Bei Wei Jia Yan (Yingbin East Road branch). It tops the list of Datong’s must-try dining options and is incredibly popular among both locals and tourists. You will love its rustic, elegant décor, which reflects the ambiance of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 - 534). Try the Shanxi cuisine which their menu primarily features, special for enjoying influences from Inner Mongolian food culture due to Datong's proximity to the region. Don’t miss their unforgettable roasted chicken; it has a slight sweetness that sets it apart from same dishes elsewhere. Average cost per person: CNY 80 / USD 11.

At the appointed time after breakfast, you will meet your guide at your hotel lobby. Today, we will begin with a visit to the Hanging Monastery, which can be reached by 1.5 hours' drive. The 1,500-year-old Hanging Monastery is hanging on a cliff and about 50 meters (164 feet) above the ground. A unique monastery combining cultural features of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, it is where you can see the sculptures of Shakyamuni, Lao Tzu, and Confucius – founders of the three schools of thoughts - all in one place. Consisting of the South Building, North Building and a bridge linking them, the entire structure seems to be supported by only more than 10 wooden pillars. But, actually, it’s the crossbeams half stuck into the rock that serve as the foundation for this architectural wonder. Time magazine has named it one of the most “precarious” feats of engineering in the world. Walking cautiously through the mid-air corridors, you may wonder why the wooden structure can endure over 1,500 years unrotten. That’s because, the timbers used were made of light, strong hemlock trees and soaked in tung oil before going into service. In addition, the sunshine here does not exceed 3 hours a day, which prevents chemical degradation of the wood. It’s amazing, isn't it?In the afternoon, we will drive back to downtown and visit the Nine-Dragon Screen. To know what the Nine-Dragon Screen is, firstly you need to know what a screen is. At ancient times, such screen was a brick wall usually built before gates of houses or buildings of significance to scare away wandering ghosts. For imperial family, the walls were specially decorated with Chinese dragon images. Like the magnificent Nine-Dragon Screen you will visit today, it’s for the mansion of a son of the first emperor in the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644 AD). From this 45.5 meters (149 feet) long wall made of special colorful glazed bricks, you get to appreciate its nine vivid, awe-striking ceramic dragons.

Finally, we’ll visit the Datong City Wall, which is a well-preserved fortification of the Ming Dynasty and was extended on the basis of the project of past dynasties. It has four main gates and a series of military constructions like moat, drawbridge, archways, and watch towers. Located at the most important strategic position, the city, with its wall, had the responsibility to protect faraway emperors living in the Forbidden City.

At the end of this 2 Days Datong tour, your guide will escort you to the railway station for your journey back to Beijing. The train leaves at around 18:00. Hope you have had a wonderful trip with us!