Highlights: The Battle of Baideng: In 201 BC, Emperor Liu Bang personally led 320,000 troops to campaign against the Xiongnu. After initial victories, he pursued them in high spirits. The Xiongnu lured the Han army in with an army made up of old, weak, sick, and disabled soldiers. Liu Bang chased them all the way to Baideng Mountain near Datong. Suddenly, Modu Chanyu led 400,000 elite cavalry in an ambush, surrounding the Han army. The...
At the summit of Zangren Peak on the southern side of the mountain stands a pagoda from the Liao Dynasty known as the Chanfang Temple Pagoda. It is a hexagonal seven-story structure built entirely from solid brick and stone, reaching approximately 20 meters in height. The topmost layer of stone is carved with lotus petals. Above that is a string course, with each stone featuring carvings of lotus flowers, peonies, and children. Each corner is adorned with a fierce and powerful warrior figure. On each face above, there is a bas-relief depicting one Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas. Further up...
Yungang National Forest Park is one of the first 41 national forest parks approved by China’s former Ministry of Forestry. Located in Datong City, Shanxi Province, it covers a total area of 15,967 hectares with a forest coverage rate of approximately 31%. The park boasts a rich variety of natural and cultural landscapes, including the world-renowned Yungang Grottoes from the Northern Wei Dynasty. There are also historic sites recorded...
Located in Xicaitian Township, Datong County, it is one of the largest reservoirs in Shanxi Province. It spans the Sanggan River, stretching ten kilometers from east to west, covering an area of 15,000 mu, with a water storage capacity of 86 million cubic meters. It can irrigate over 400,000 mu of farmland and yields more than 50,000 kilograms of fish annually. Cetian Reservoir is situated about 20 kilometers east of the county town, with a water storage capacity of 57 million…
Liyuan Green Ecological Agricultural Sightseeing Park is located in the northeastern part of Zhonggaozhuang Village, Xiping Town, Datong County. It is a flagship project of Datong Hongbo Trading Company as it transitions from the coal industry to green and environmentally friendly industries. The park covers a total area of 408 mu, with an estimated total investment of 68 million yuan. Currently, 8 million yuan has been invested, including the construction of one high-lift water tower...
The Site of the Battle of Baideng is a battlefield site from the Western Han Dynasty. It is located on Mapu Mountain, northwest of Sanfufen and Sanchangjian villages in Zhoushihuang Town, Yunzhou District. Mapu Mountain was anciently known as Baideng Mountain, and at its northern peak once stood the Baideng Platform, at an elevation of 1,300 meters. The then Pingcheng was situated around present-day Donggucheng Village in Datong City. The *History of Liao* erroneously identified Baideng Village in Yanggao County as...
Tomb of Li Dianlin About 2 kilometers north of Dawang Village in Xubao Township lies the Tomb of Li Dianlin. The tomb is 6 meters high with an earth mound circumference of 130 meters. It was excavated during the Cultural Revolution. The epitaph inside the tomb is now kept at the home of his grandson, Li Runhan. Prior to [year not specified], there was a stone memorial archway outside the tomb, about 5 meters high, inscribed with a couplet. The upper line reads: "The enduring mountain range extends here, ushering in a flourishing and auspicious land." The lower line reads: …
Tomb of Kangli Tuotuo The Tomb of Kangli Tuotuo, located 700 meters north of Dawang Village, is the burial site of Kangli Tuotuo, a prominent grand chancellor of the Yuan Dynasty. The earthen mound has been destroyed. …
The Han Tombs of Xiaojiayao Tou are located 50 meters east of Yaotou Village in Xubao Township. There are ten Han tombs covering an area of one square kilometer, with burial mounds ranging from 5 to 8 meters in height and perimeters between 44 and 170 meters each. Between 1984 and 1986, 102 un-mounded tombs were excavated, most of which were earthen cave tombs and vertical pit tombs, yielding over 100 cultural relics...
Jijiazhuang Site (First Batch of Provincial-Level Protection) Era: Neolithic Location: Approximately 0.5 km southeast of Jijiazhuang Village, Jijiazhuang Township, Datong City Jijiazhuang Village lies to the south of the northern foothills of Dian Mountain and on the southern bank of the Sanggan River. The site is located on the second terrace of the Sanggan River, covering an area of about 1 square kilometer. Most of the area is now farmland, and it belongs to a Neolithic...
Qingshan Nature Reserve is located near Niubangkou and Huataxi Village in Sanlou Township, southwest of the county. It covers a total area of 25,400 mu. The reserve belongs to the Wutai Mountain range of the Taihang Mountain system. The area features overlapping mountains with a concentrated growth of blue sandalwood trees, and the core forested area spans 9,000 mu. The density ranges from 30 to 110 trees per mu, with the tallest individual reaching 4.5 meters...
Haotian Temple Located atop Haotian Mountain in the north of the county town, about 1.5 kilometers from the county center. The temple was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, predating the Huayan Temple in Datong City. It was renovated during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty but was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Haotian Mountain is part of a volcanic group and, according to archaeologists, contains a Neolithic site. The mountain has long been known for the saying that it is “just two fingers’ distance from the sky.”
Sleeping Buddha of Hudadong The "Sleeping Buddha of Hudadong" is located on the southern bank of the Sanggan River, at the border area where the three townships of Mayukou, Jijiazhuang, and Fengyu in this county meet with Hunyuan County, stretching approximately 14 kilometers in length. This "Buddha" lies from the southwest to the northeast, with its head directly facing the southwest—the sacred Buddhist land of India. …
Earth forests are a unique type of erosion landform shaped by flowing water. They feature a majestic and otherworldly presence, showcasing the desolate and solemn beauty of the Loess Plateau, making them an ideal subject for photography enthusiasts. The earth forest is located in Duzhuang Township, Datong County, covering an area of about one square kilometer. Locals call it "Shiban Gou" (Stone Slab Gully), where it has remained hidden for countless years. Beside the shimmering waters...
Wulong Gorge is located midway along the golden tourism route that connects the World Cultural Heritage sites of the Yungang Grottoes and Mount Hengshan, the renowned Hanging Temple, the historic city of Datong, and the capital Beijing. It lies one kilometer south of Emao Village in Datong County, on the eastern side of the Cetian Reservoir dam. Formed by volcanic lava eruptions one hundred million years ago and sculpted over millennia by the Sanggan River, it is…
The Datong City Wall is located in the central area of Datong. The ancient city covers an area of 3.45 square kilometers and has a square outline. The existing wall was built upon the foundations of previous walls from the Han, Wei, Tang, Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, expanded in the fifth year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1372 AD) by the eminent general Xu Da. The wall stands 14 meters high, is 12 meters wide at the top, and 1…
Datong Sanggan River National Wetland Park is located in the southern part of the county, radiating outward from the Sanggan River as its center. It covers a wetland area of 3,933.14 hectares, with a wetland ratio of 83.37%. The park includes three major types of wetlands: riverine wetlands, marsh wetlands, and artificial wetlands; specifically, it consists of six wetland subtypes: permanent river wetlands, floodplain wetlands, herbaceous marsh wetlands...
Datong Volcanic Cluster National Geopark is divided into the Datong Volcanic Cluster Scenic Area, the Sanggan River Scenic Area, and the Qiulinyu Scenic Area. It features both geological relics and cultural historical sites, serving as a large-scale comprehensive geopark that integrates sightseeing, leisure vacationing, science education, and scientific research. This volcanic cluster is a remnant of Quaternary tectonic activity…
Datong Xiping National Desert Park centers around the Datong Volcano Cluster, covering a total area of 6,166.7 hectares with a total investment of 504.2313 million yuan. By 2020, the park aims to achieve significant progress in vegetation restoration and a notable improvement in ecological service functions; the science education venues and facilities will be fully established, with greatly enhanced geological science outreach and promotion...
Xice Tian Site (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites) Era: Northern Wei Dynasty Address: Approximately 2,500 meters northwest of Xice Tian Village, Xubao Township, Yunzhou District, Datong City The Xice Tian Site is located in the eastern part of Datong County, in the central-southern area of Xubao Township, on the southern bank of the Cetian Reservoir along the Sanggan River section. Ten thousand meters directly south of the site lies the Liuling Mountain Range, while just a hundred meters directly north is the Cetian Reservoir in Datong County. The site sits on a slightly elevated, gently sloping flatland, with vegetation predominantly characterizing the terrain within and around the site.