Datong Travel Guide (2026): Yungang Caves & Hanging Temple

Datong is the China you’ve seen in movies and games — cliff temples, thousand-year-old wooden pagodas and grottoes full of Buddhas, and one of the few cities where ancient architecture feels alive. If you played Black Myth: Wukong, you’ve seen Datong’s buildings; here’s how to visit them for real.

The essentials

• Days needed: 2–3 days.
• Getting there: high-speed rail from Beijing to Datong South in about 1h40 — the easiest add-on to a Beijing itinerary.
• Best season: May–June and September–October; summer is dry and warm, winter quiet with snow on the ancient roofs.

Day 1 — Yungang Grottoes

A morning at the Yungang Grottoes, a UNESCO site of 53 major caves and 50,000+ statues carved from the 5th century. The highlights are Caves 5 and 6 and the five Tanyao Caves (16–20). Go early, rent the audio guide, and save the late-afternoon light for photos. Admission about ¥120 in peak season.

Day 2 — The Hanging Temple & the Wooden Pagoda

Both are on the route out of Datong:

• The Hanging Temple (Xuankong Si): a three-religion temple bolted to a cliff, more than 1,500 years old. Entry ¥15 plus a ¥100 ascent fee; climbing is limited, so arrive early and book ahead on holidays.
• The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda: the world’s oldest and tallest wooden pagoda (67m), the “museum of Chinese bracket architecture.” Best photo spot is the second-floor platform of the pagoda museum across the road. Admission ¥50.

Day 3 — The old city’s temples

• Huayan Temple (¥50): a Liao/Jin-dynasty complex with the famous smiling Bodhisattva and a 4.5m glazed chiwen ornament.
• Shanshan Temple (free): another Black Myth location, with superb Jin-dynasty buildings.
• Nine Dragon Wall and the city wall: a free walk around the old city, best at dusk when the wall lights up.

Practical tips

• Book the top sights online ahead — the Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Temple fill up on weekends and holidays.
• Getting around: the sites are spread out; a private driver or taxi is the practical way (about ¥600 a day for a van), or use the tourist bus from the rail station to Yungang.
• What to eat: knife-cut noodles, shaomai, lamb offal soup and Hunyuan bean jelly in the old city near the Drum Tower.
• Payment and data: set up Alipay and an eSIM before you arrive.

Where this fits

Datong is the northern anchor of the Shanxi ancient-architecture trail — combine it with Taiyuan, Pingyao and the Black Myth sites further south on our Wukong Shanxi route. It also works as a 2-day side trip from Beijing.

Prices and times as of August 2026 — confirm current tickets and schedules before you go.