Four-Day, Three-Night Self-Driving Tour of Datong: A Perfect Journey

Day 1: Left Beijing early on the second day of Chinese New Year, taking the Beijing-Tibet Highway, which proved to be a mistake. The highway was congested everywhere, turning a 4-hour journey into 6 hours. Arrived at Datong Tulin Scenic Area at 2 PM. Tulin is a relatively new attraction with somewhat lacking facilities and scenery. Admission is 50 yuan with free parking. The tulin formations created from an ancient lakebed are quite distinctive with a prehistoric feel. It takes about 1.5 hours to explore. The drive from Tulin to Datong takes about 40 minutes. We stayed near Datong Railway Station, about 2 kilometers from the Ancient City. Around 6 PM, we went to see the Ancient City's night views. The Datong Lantern Festival in the Ancient City had beautiful lighting, with the southwest area being better than the north gate, especially around Huayan Temple where it was quite lively. There were performances at Prince Wang's Mansion. Other attractions like the Nine Dragon Screen, Huayan Temple, and Chunyang Palace were closed at night. The Ancient City was crowded with traffic jams, making taxis very inconvenient. Plan ahead. Day 2: Drove to the Hanging Temple early in the morning, about 80 kilometers taking 1.5 hours. Since we forgot to make reservations in advance, we couldn't get tickets to enter the Hanging Temple. Park admission is free, allowing for a close view of the entire temple from outside. The line to enter was quite long, so we were actually glad we didn't have to queue, as the wait would have been too long. From the Hanging Temple, we went to Mount Heng. February admission was free, with the cable car costing 70 yuan. It was wonderful hiking in the sunshine. The cable car station is quite a distance from both the temple complex and the summit. It would take about another hour to reach the peak, but with limited energy, we only went halfway up. The path was quite congested. The temple complex is impressive, representing the cultural heart of Mount Heng and its most representative area. Walking down took about 1 hour to reach the shuttle bus station, which costs 13 yuan per person to take you directly to the parking lot. Parking at Mount Heng is extremely difficult due to limited space. The backup parking lots are on dirt roads, costing 15 yuan per time. Returned to Datong around 5 PM. Day 3: Yungang Grottoes - absolutely stunning Buddhist cave sculptures that rekindled my desire to study Northern Wei history. Left before 8 AM for the 17-kilometer journey, but it was incredibly congested with too many visitors. Even the backup parking lots extended up small hills, and it took over an hour just to get out of the car. Each cave required queuing, but it was worth it. Every Buddha statue is exquisite, representing the highest craftsmanship of that era. However, the queuing was exhausting, so I recommend visiting during non-holiday periods to appreciate them properly. Admission is 100 yuan with free parking. We left around 2 PM to return to Datong Ancient City. The Ancient City was equally congested, and parking inside was extremely difficult - it's all about luck. First stop in the Ancient City was Huayan Temple, admission 50 yuan; Second stop was Chunyang Palace, free admission; Third stop was the Nine Dragon Screen, free admission; Fourth stop was Datong Ancient City Wall, free admission. We didn't visit the South City Wall, which reportedly has performances and charges admission. We were too tired to walk anymore. I especially recommend the Datong Ancient City Wall - it's the most complete, highest-standard, and most defensively robust city wall I've seen. The ancient towers gleamed in the sunset, telling the story of Datong's rich history. Day 4: Left Datong at 7:30 AM, heading straight for Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, 75 kilometers away, taking about 1.5 hours. Admission is 50 yuan with free parking. I strongly recommend the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda - photos don't do it justice. The majestic, awe-inspiring feeling can only be experienced in person standing before the pagoda. Only the first floor of the wooden pagoda is open to visitors. The sculptures are exquisite, and the lotus base-supporting generals are imposing and powerful with a proud demeanor. It takes about 1.5 hours to explore the wooden pagoda thoroughly, examining every detail without missing anything. From Yingxian Wooden Pagoda to Yanmen Pass is another 75 kilometers, but the mountain road was terribly congested, mainly because the scenic area has too few parking spaces and slow vehicle entry. I strongly condemn 👎 those who cut in line, driving in the opposite direction and cutting in at any time. Yanmen Pass has two gates at considerable height, equivalent to climbing the Badaling Great Wall, which is quite tiring - proceed according to your physical ability. Walking along this mighty pass, you can feel the hardships endured by garrison soldiers throughout the dynasties. It took about 2 hours, and we started our return journey around 4 PM. Datong is truly a wonderful place that I highly recommend. I'll definitely visit again when I have time.