The city of Datong, situated in northern Shanxi Province between the inner and outer Great Wall, was a town of strategic importance and a communication hub in ancient times. It takes about eight hours to reach Datong from Beijing by train. As the train passes through the Juyong Pass and Badaling in the inner Great Wall and the Yanmen Pass, it affords some delightful views of the scenery on both sides of the Great Wall in north China.
The Xianpei nationality united the various ethnic groups in north China and set up the Northern Wei Dynasty in A.D. 386 with its capital in Datong. Datong remained the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty for 108 years, until in A.D. 494 Emperor Xiao Wen, pursuing a policy of assimilating all ethnic groups with the Han culture, moved the capital southwards to Luoyang in henna.

The emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty believed in Buddhism, and many ancient buildings, sculptures, drawings, paintings, and other pieces of Buddhist art in Datong date from that time. The Yungang Grottoes are the crowning achievement of this ancient culture.

Although the city of Datong today has become a leading center for China's coal industry, the "land of Buddhism," with its beautiful grottoes and magnificent monasteries, is also a tourist attraction.

Yungang Grottoes

Yungang Caves, one of the three major cave clusters in China, punctuate the north cliff of Wuzhou Mountain, Datong. The area was excavated along the mountain, extending 1 km (0.62 miles) from east to west, revealing 53 caves and over 51,000 stone statues.

Huayan Monastery

Huayan Monastery is located in the southwestern part of Datong. These splendid ancient buildings were constructed of wood during the Liao Dynast more than nine hundred years ago. This "great monastery of the Liao Dynasty," as it was called, was almost completely destroyed in wars, but the remaining main hall is one of the largest Buddhist temples dating from the Liao and Kin dynasties (1,559 square meters). At the sides of the hall stand thirty-two Devarajas (Heacenly Guardians), and in the middle are three wooden Buddhist statues. Especially noteworthy is the hall of Boga Sect, which contains thirty-one fine statues sculptured in the Liao Dynasty.

Situated in the southwest of Datong, Shanxi Province, Huayan Monastery, named after the Huayan sect of Buddhism, is a complex of the Upper Huayan Monastery, also called the Great Temple of Treasure(Da Xiong Bao Dian) and the Lower Huayan Monastery.

The Upper Huayan Monastery (Da Xiong Bao Dian) is considered to be one of the two biggest Buddhist halls existent in China. And it was built under the Liao Dynasty in 1062. The Monastery suffered from a severe damage in the last years of the Liao and yet it was restored by the Jin in 1140. Unlike the most temple buildings in China which face southward, the main building, the Great Temple of Treasure, faces to the east. The legend goes that Qidan, an ancient tribe appeared in 400 B.C. in the northern China, had a popular custom of worshipping the Sun. Later when they dominated the northern China, this practice influenced the Han people. There are five major Buddhas in the center of the hall, either side of which are 20 celestial warriors. Contrary to the splendid Upper Huayan Monastery, the Lower Huayan Monastery, constructed in 1038, has a touch of quaintness, where Buddhist scripture are stored. The Trinity Buddhas comprising the Past Buddha, the Present Buddha and the future Buddha are enshrined and worshipped here. Around the sides of the Trinity Buddhas are twenty eight guardian figures, among which the Bodhisattva with a pious prayer pose is the most lifelike.

Nine Dragon Screen (Jiulongbi)

Located at the center of the city of Datong, Nine Dragon Screen was formerly the front screen of an imperial palace. This glazed-brick structure has nine dragons sculptured in relief in five colors. As a symbol of the ancient emperors of China, the dragons were depicted fighting and frolicking in the clouds above the blue sea. The screen is 45.5 meters long, 8 meters high, and 2 meters thick. It was built more than six hundred years ago, and is not only larger than the nine-dragon screen in Beijing's Beihai Park, but three hundred years older.

Benevolent Incarnation Monastery (Shanhuasi)

Located south of the Nine-Dragon Screen, Benevolent Incarnation Monastery was first built in A.D. 713-741 during the Tang Dynasty. Destroyed in war, it was rebuilt in A.D. 1128-1143 during the Kin Dynasty, although the Grand Hall was a structure left over from the Liao Dynasty. The entire monastery is a well-proportioned, well-preserved complex. It contains more than thirty Buddhist statues sculptured during the Liao and Kin dynasties, the most noteworthy being covered in gold leaf.

Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian

Located in Yingxian County to the south of Datong, this is the oldest and tallest wooden pagoda in China. Built in A.D. 1056, it is a sixty-seven-high-high octagon with a diameter of thirty meters at the base. From the outside it appears to be a five-storied structure, but since it has four additional inner stories, it is actually a nine-storied structure. A rational, well-proportioned structure, the pagoda has withstood gunfire and earthquakes. Items of interest in the pagoda include statues and frescoes.

Suspending Monastery (Xuankongsi)

Hanging Monastery stands at the foot of Mt. Hengshan, 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Hunyuan County, and 65 kilometers (40 miles) from downtown Datong City. Since it hangs on the west cliff of Jinxia Gorge more than 50 meters above the ground, it is called Hanging Monastery.

Hanging Monastery, built in 491, has survived more than 1400 years. The extant monastery was largely rebuilt and maintained in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

How could a building like this withstand the winds and storms of so many years? Hanging Monastery is an architectural wonder. A unique mechanical theory was applied to building the framework. Crossbeams were half-inserted into the rock as the foundation, while the rock in back became its support. Seen from below, Hanging Monastery appears to be a tumble-down castle in the air. Inside, Hanging Monastery provides the same scene as other temples.

Construction experts from countries including Britain, Germany, and Italy, come to see the monastery. In their words, Hanging Monastery, which mixes mechanics, aesthetics, and Buddhism, is rare. The monastery and everything it symbolizes embodies a great cultural achievement of Chinese people.

The second attraction of Hanging Monastery is that it includes Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Inside the monastery, the sculptures of Sakyamuni, Confucius and Laotzu appear together, which is unusual. There are 40 halls and cabinets, which contain about 80 sculptures made of copper, iron, terracotta, and stone. The features are vividly carved.

Why build a monastery like this? Location is the first reason; building a monastery on the cliff could shield it from floods. In addition, the mountain peak protects it from rain and snow; and the mountain around it also diminishes damage from long-time sunshine. The second reason is that the builders followed a principle in Taoism: no noises, including those from rooster crowing and dog baying; so from the upper ground, all noises drop away.