Things to do in Zuoyun

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Yungang Grottoes

Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area is divided into a landscape zone and the grottoes. It is one of the three largest grottoes in China. The sculpture combines Chinese and Western art. Here you can experience the artistic charms of Northern Wei Dynasty. Yungang Grottoes not only embodies traditional Chinese art style but also integrates art styles of ethnic groups from ancient India, countries west of China and China's central plains. It is a famous historical site in Datong City.

No. 7 of Best Things to Do in Shanxi

Huayan Temple

Huayan Temple is located in the center of Datong. This temple was built in the 8th year of Liao Qingning Period (AD 1062). In the Daxiong Hall of Huayan Temple, you can see the groundworks of Liao Dynasty and the buildings of Jin Dynasty, as well as the statues of Ming Dynasty and the murals of Qing Dynasty. The Hall of BojiaJiaocang in the temple is the only Liao Dynasty building here. The statues from Liao Dynasty in the Hall are extremely precious. There is a double-storey pavilion-style cabinet behind the Hall of Bojiajiaocang, the upper level is for Buddha statues and Buddhist altars, and the lower layer stores for books.

Bataizi Church

Bataizi Church is located in the northern part of Bataizi Village, Santun Township, Zuoyun County, Datong City, Shanxi Province. Originally built in the second year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty, it is a ruin of a modern Catholic church built against The Great Wall and near Motianling.

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Badaling Great Wall

The Badaling Great Wall is a highly representative section of the Ming Great Wall, located in Yanqing, Beijing, north of Juyong Pass. Since ancient times, it has been a strategic military location guarding the northwestern passage to the capital. The pass city is trapezoidal in shape, narrow in the east and wide in the west, with two gates, east and west. The east gate bears the inscription "Juyong Outer Town," and the west gate bears the inscription "Key to the North Gate." Both inscriptions remain clearly legible to this day. Extending north from the pass is the North Wall, along which more than ten watchtowers are distributed; to the south is the South Wall, which has fewer watchtowers. North Tower 8 is the highest point of the entire section, at over 1,000 meters above sea level, and from its top you can overlook the magnificent sweep of the wall winding along the mountain ridges. The North Wall has higher terrain and steeper slopes with open views, and is the main route for most visitors; the South Wall is relatively gentle and less crowded, making it suitable for visitors who want to take photos at a relaxed pace and avoid the crowds. If time permits, walking the South Wall first and then the North Wall is a more leisurely arrangement. Badaling Great Wall is also one of the earlier sections of the wall opened to the public. The top surface of the wall is paved with square bricks, and the widest parts can accommodate five horses walking side by side. Defensive structures such as battlements and arrow holes are well preserved, and walking along it gives a direct sense of the construction standards of Ming Dynasty border defense works. In fall, layers of red leaves on the mountains contrast beautifully with the gray brick wall, making it a season that many photography enthusiasts travel specifically to capture. ▲Travel through 600 years of gilded splendor and encounter the visual shock of crimson red leaves blanketing the mountains ▲nightAs night falls, it winds through the mountains like a brilliant golden dragon, and the ancient city wall illuminated by lights tells of the glory and mystery of a thousand years of history ▲ In winter, the Badaling Great Wall, covered in pristine white snow, winds through the mountains like a silver dragon. The golden light of dawn spills across the wall, painting a tranquil and magnificent picture.

Motianling Scenic Area

No. 1 of Night Attractions in Shanxi

Datong Ancient City

Datong Ancient City is the historic core of Datong, Shanxi. It served as the capital Pingcheng during the Northern Wei dynasty, the western auxiliary capital during the Liao and Jin dynasties, and a strategic frontier stronghold in the Ming dynasty, earning it the enduring title "northern key." Over its 2,000-year history spanning dynastic changes, the city's location remained largely unchanged, preserving its chessboard-style street grid centered on Sipailou to this day. The 2008 conservation and restoration project reunited the city walls, reconnected the moat, and gradually revived ancient architecture and old streets, layering the grandeur of an ancient capital with modern life within the same walled city. The ancient town offers an exceptionally dense concentration of noteworthy sights: in Huayan Temple's Liao- and Jin-dynasty halls, the graceful "clasped-hands, smiling" Liao-dynasty bodhisattva statue in the Scripture Depository Hall has long been hailed as the "Oriental Venus"; Shanhua Temple preserves a complete complex of Liao- and Jin-era wooden architecture. The Nine-dragon Wall, originally a glazed screen wall before the Ming-dynasty Dai Prince's residence (destroyed in war), survives with its nine coiling dragons still radiant—older and larger than its counterparts in Beijing's Forbidden City and Beihai Park. Climbing the reconstructed Ming-style city walls reveals a bird's-eye view of the square town's crisscrossing four main streets and orderly rooftops. An evening wait for sunset on the ramparts, followed by the illuminated outlines of walls and watchtowers after dark, makes for one of the town's most enchanting moments. Walking is recommended for touring: the attractions inside the city walls are spaced closely, allowing Huayan Temple, Shanhua Temple, the Nine-dragon Wall, and the drum tower to form a connected route. When tired, you may turn into the area around East Drum Tower Street, where time-honored shops and snack stores are concentrated, making it ideal for resting and replenishing. The ancient town covers a considerable area, so allocate at least half a day and wear comfortable shoes to leisurely appreciate the layered historical depth of this ancient capital.

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Shanxi

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is centered on the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple. This pure wooden pavilion-style pagoda was first built in the second year of Qingning of the Liao Dynasty (1056) and later expanded and completed during the Mingchang period of the Jin Dynasty. It is the oldest surviving wooden pagoda in China. The pagoda has five visible stories, with concealed stories inserted between them, making nine stories in total, and stands about 67 m tall. Apart from the stone platform base on the first story, the main body of the pagoda is built entirely of wood, connected using traditional mortise-and-tenon craftsmanship, and the whole pagoda uses more than 50 types of bracket sets, demonstrating exquisite structural design. For more than nine hundred years, the pagoda has withstood many major earthquakes and modern artillery bombardment and still stands today. Due to the need for cultural relic protection, visitors may only visit the first floor inside the pagoda. There is a door on each of the north and south sides of the first floor. In the center of the inner chamber is a seated statue of Shakyamuni about 10 m tall, with a dignified face and a solemn expression. Looking up, you can see the exquisite coffered ceiling at the top. On the walls of the inner chamber are painted six Buddha images of Tathagata, and on the walls on both sides of the doorway are painted Liao Dynasty-style murals featuring Vajra, disciples, and offering figures, with bright colors and lifelike figures. Multiple plaques from various dynasties hang under the eaves of each story of the wooden pagoda, two of which were written by Ming emperors and are particularly striking. Under the south eaves of the fifth story hangs the plaque "Supreme Divine Craftsmanship," written by Zhu Di, Emperor Chengzu of Ming, when he climbed the pagoda during a northern military campaign in the Yongle era; under the south eaves of the fourth story hangs the plaque "Wonder of the World," written by Zhu Houzhao, Emperor Wuzong of Ming, when he ascended the pagoda to feast and reward his ministers after the Yingzhou victory in the Zhengde era. These plaques are not only calligraphic treasures but also record the intersection of the wooden pagoda with historical figures, together with the architecture itself forming a distinctive cultural view of the attraction.

No. 8 of Best Things to Do in Datong

Jinhuagong National Mine Park

Jinhua Palace National Mining Park is located about 13 kilometers west of Datong City, across the river from the world cultural heritage Yungang Grottoes. In 2000, the "Underground Exploration Tour" project was developed here, becoming the first batch of national industrial tourism demonstration sites. The park integrates industrial site protection, environmental renewal, ecological restoration and green mine construction, which is a new leisure and tourism park and a mining cultural and creative park that leaves a complete modern industrial memory for the world. The main attractions in the park are the Datong Coal Museum and the Coal Capital Underground Fire Exploration Tour. The Datong Coal Museum in the park is a large-scale address mine museum integrating science, knowledge, ornamentation and fun. The treasure of the town hall here is a petrified wood that has been turned into coal, which is dark and has a clear texture, and you can still clearly see the scales and veins of the original plant. Tourists can also participate in the underground fire exploration tour of Coal Capital, truly understand the historical knowledge of coal formation in the Jurassic period 140 million years ago, experience the historical evolution process from primitive coal mining to modern coal mining, and experience the underground life of coal workers immersively. Before tourists go down to visit the well, they need to change into work clothes and wear safety helmets, and there will be about five people in the scenic spot to lead them down the well.

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Shanhua Temple

Shanhua Temple, commonly known as the "southern temple," is located in the southern corner of the ancient city of Datong. The temple was first built during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty and was initially named Kaiyuan Temple. It was renamed Dapu'en Temple during the Later Jin Dynasty but was destroyed in the war at the end of the Liao Dynasty. It was rebuilt on the original site during the Jin Dynasty and was officially named Shanhua Temple in the Ming Dynasty, a name that has been used ever since. The temple's mountain gate, Three Saints Hall, Mahavira Hall, and Puxian Pavilion are all original structures from the Liao and Jin periods, making it one of the relatively well-preserved temple architectural complexes from that era in China. The halls are gradually elevated along the central axis from south to north, with the layout of the Tang Dynasty temple still faintly discernible. Unlike most temples, the mountain gate here combines with the heavenly king hall into one structure: the five-bay Jin dynasty gate houses Ming dynasty statues of the four heavenly kings, immediately visible upon entry with imposing majesty. The central three saints hall, also a Jin dynasty construction, features strikingly large and ornate bracket sets under its eaves that project in layers resembling blooming flowers—a distinctive hallmark of this hall. It enshrines the original Jin dynasty "Flower Adornment three saints": Vairocana Buddha at the center flanked by Manjusri and Samantabhadra bodhisattvas, their forms full and expressions serene. The main hall of the great hero on the northern high platform is the temple's principal hall, built during the Liao Dynasty and renovated in the Jin Dynasty. The altar enshrines the five wisdom buddhas arranged from east to west: Aksobhya in the east, Ratnasambhava in the south, Vairocana at the center, Amitabha in the west, and Amoghasiddhi in the north—all surviving Liao sculptures with Jin-era repainting. Twenty-four deva polychrome sculptures stand on brick platforms along the eastern and western walls, twelve on each side, representing masterpieces of Jin Dynasty sculpture. Some appear armored and weapon-wielding with fierce expressions, while others wear official robes with flowing sashes. Among them, the benevolent and graceful Sridevi particularly captivates viewers. The hall's western and southern walls preserve Buddhist narrative murals painted during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. Before entering the temple, consider viewing the glazed five-dragon wall in front of the mountain gate. This Ming dynasty Wanli-era relic was originally the screen wall of Xingguo Temple in the southern city, relocated here in the 1980s. Five coiling dragons surge amid turbulent clouds and waves on the wall, with the central "main dragon" holding a fire pearl and facing directly forward toward the ancient temple's gate. During your visit, pay special attention to the hall of three saints' diagonal arches and the Liao- and Jin-dynasty polychrome sculptures in the main hall. The dim lighting in these ancient halls invites slower observation of the statues' expressions and drapery details, allowing deeper appreciation of these Liao-Jin treasures.

Motianling Provincial Scenic Area