If there is one sight that you should not miss while coming through Datong, it is the Yungang Caves. This masterpiece of early Chinese Buddhist cave art was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. The story behind the grottoes is an interesting one and begins in the Wei Dynasty. The first two Wei emperors, Tuoba Gui and Tuoba Si, were both Buddhists.  However, the third emperor, Tuoba Tao, known as "Taiwu," was a Taoist, as was his Prime Minister Cui Hao and Hao’s teacher, Taoist monk Kou Qianzhi.  All three abhorred Buddhism’s supplanting of the local religion. While sacking the enemy stronghold of Xi’an, Cui Hao discovered some rebel arms in a Buddhist temple and found the justification he needed to initiate a massive anti-Buddhist pogrom, now known as the Taiwu Suppression of Buddhism.&... more >>

Looking a little stranded without the temple it once protected from evil spirits, the Nine Dragon Screen still manages to impress on its own. The largest and oldest glazed screen in China today, this 600-year-old wonder, built for the Ming Dynasty's first Emperor, is a masterful example of Chinese fire-glazed tile work. Made from a total of 426 glazed tiles, the construction measures 45.5 meters in length and is over two meters tall.  Cavorting in poses that look at once playful and menacing, the nine sinuous dragons which grace its lengths were said to control the powers of wind and rain and presented an impassable obstacle to evil spirits, who, apparently, could only move in straight lines. To see these vibrant shapes and colors come alive, all you need do is look at the relief's reflection in the long, narrow pond the runs the length of its face, there in ... more >>

One of China's Five Sacred Mountains (Wu Yue), Heng Shan has been reverently scaled by emperors since Qin Shi Huang, the first ruler to unify China, set the precedent. Located between the Hebei Plain and the Great Wall, Heng Shan's strategic position led to it's being the scene of many an epic battle, but it's better known as a religious center, something it's been for over 2,000 years. As such, the mountain's many faces are host to temples, including the amazing Daoist Hanging Temple, along with numerous ancient sites including the ruins of fortresses and beacon towers. Part of a 250 kilometer-long crescent-shaped range stretching east to west, Heng Shan is a pleasant place to hike, with fragrant pines and fresh air—a rarity in heavily industrialized and mined Shanxi. From the mountain's base, a 30-minute walk up a switchback trail brings you to Hengzong S... more >>

A wonder of Buddhist engineering, this 1400 year old marvel doesn’t just defy gravity, but the laws of religion.  Instead of an exclusive devotion to a single religion, the Hanging Monastery distinguishes itself from other temples by including homage to Taoism, Confucianism, as well as Buddhism.  Inside the monastery, sculptures of Sakyamuni, Confucius and Laotzu appear together.   Built to shield it from floods, rain, sun and snow as well as to conform to Taoist religious principles evincing quiet, the monastery, originally erected in 491, was rebuilt and maintained by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Standing at the foot of Heng Shan (Heng mountain) 50 meters above the ground, the Hanging Monastery is a great place to start a day journey around Heng Shan itself, a mountain endowed with a wealth of temples, historic sites ... more >>

Yet another ancient architectural marvel to add to Datong's already impressive list, the Wooden Pagoda's masterful wooden construction houses huge statues and frescoes.  Built during the Liao Dynasty in 1056, this amazing structure stands over 67 meters tall and was built without a single nail.   The octagonal structure has survived the worst weather and seven earthquakes where no others could, all thanks to an ingenious system where 54 seperate kinds of interlocking brackets join together a variety of mortises and tenons. As a result, this 900 year-old stucture can probably weather another 900 years, even without the Cultural Relics Protection Unit's stewardship. more >>