Datong has suffered and returned, time to speak some harsh truths

​​🌄 Datong August Summer Escape Walking Guide! All-inclusive 3-day food, accommodation, and transportation, the Northern Wei breeze has me completely relaxed~​​ ​​Location Datong, a hidden gem city in northern Shanxi, with the dual buffs of being the Northern Wei capital and the Liao-Jin co-capital, has an average summer temperature of 25°C—refreshingly perfect! The ancient city walls encircle a thousand years of life, the Yungang Grottoes hide 1,500 years of smiles, and the Hanging Temple clings to cliffs challenging your heartbeat… definitely a “historical Disneyland” 🤩 ​​🏰 Must-Visit TOP 5​​ 1️⃣ ​​Yungang Grottoes​​ (8:30-17:30) One of China’s three major grottoes! The smile of the giant Buddha in Cave 20 under the open sky is legendary. Don’t miss the guided tour to catch the gossip about the “Tan Yao Five Caves”~ Must-see caves are 1-20, and the colorful Buddha statues in Cave 5 are breathtaking! Tickets are 120 RMB, but booking early on Trip.com saves you the price of a milk tea. 2️⃣ ​​Hanging Temple​​ (8:00-18:00) A real-life “dangerous building a hundred feet high”! Admission is 100 RMB (15 RMB for viewing from afar at the foot of the mountain). Climbing with shaky legs, I swear the ancients learned Newton’s laws better than I did… If you’re afraid of heights, be cautious, but missing it will make you regret for three years! 3️⃣ ​​Huayan Temple​​ (8:30-17:30) A royal temple of the Liao and Jin dynasties! The “Eastern Venus” smiling Bodhisattva statue in the Vajrayana hall is so playful you’ll want to request the same emoji~ The giant dougong brackets in the main hall look like giant Lego blocks; wide-angle shots are recommended to capture the ceiling. 4️⃣ ​​Datong Ancient City Wall​​ (Free! Open 24 hours) Charge here at dusk! Rent a bike (30 RMB/hour) to chase the sunset. When the Yongtai Gate light show at the South Gate lights up, you instantly travel back to the Northern Wei era. The night view is a guaranteed hit on social media. 5️⃣ ​​Drum Tower East Street Night Market​​ A carb explosion zone at night! The knife-cut noodles are so chewy you could jump rope on them, the lamb offal soup smells so good neighbors crane their necks to look… The purple clay 369 coarse grain season’s yellow rice jelly is so sweet and glutinous you’ll want to pack a ton. ​​🚗 3-Day Walking Route​​ ​​Day 1: Double Hit with Grottoes + Ancient City​​ ☀️ Morning: Rush to ​​Yungang Grottoes​​ (35-minute taxi, about 50 RMB), remember to bring water! No convenience stores inside the caves. 🌞 Noon: Return to the ancient city for ​​Longjuxiang Shaomai​​, the thin skin is translucent, dipping in aged vinegar instantly elevates the taste~ 🌙 Evening: ​​Ride on the Ancient City Wall​​ → ​​Drum Tower East Street Night Market​​, recommend Xijin Dao Noodle House’s minced meat knife-cut noodles, toppings so generous the noodles get shy. ​​Day 2: Hanging Temple + Huayan Temple​​ ☀️ Morning: Private car 1.5 hours to ​​Hanging Temple​​ (Trip.com group tour 200 RMB/person), arrive early to avoid queues! 🌞 Noon: Return to town for ​​Fengling Pavilion​​, the hundred-flower shaomai is too beautiful to eat, the Fengpaw chicken is so tender the bones smell fragrant~ 🌙 Evening: ​​Huayan Temple​​ to quietly admire murals, then turn right out the door to the ​​Ancient Style Street​​ to hunt for intangible cultural heritage paper cuttings, happiness for just 10 RMB. ​​Day 3: Museum + Volcano Cluster​​ ☀️ Morning: ​​Datong Museum​​ to see Northern Wei blue glass, free admission but closed on Mondays! 🌞 Noon: ​​Kaige Restaurant​​ for fried meat with sea buckthorn juice, the sour and refreshing taste cleanses the palate and you’ll lick the plate~ 🌙 Evening: Taxi 30 minutes to ​​Volcano Cluster Geological Park​​, shoot interstellar-style photos on black volcanic rocks, the wind is strong at sunset on the mountaintop, hold your phone tight. ​​🏨 Accommodation Recommendations​​ 1️⃣ ​​Datong Xiyun Hotel​​ (Dongxin Plaza Branch) Smart room controls + 65-inch projection screen, about 300 RMB per person with amazing value! Bathtub soaking with city views, booking on Trip.com includes double breakfast. 2️⃣ ​​FunGee HuanZhi Hotel​​ The little yellow duck family room is adorably cute, the Dream Lily zero-pressure mattress feels like sinking into clouds… The cinema room’s giant screen projector saves you movie ticket money. ​​🍜 5 Must-Eat Hits​​ 1️⃣ ​​Assorted Hot Pot​​: Copper pot piled high with meat strips and meatballs, the broth is so fresh you’ll want to soak three bowls of rice. 2️⃣ ​​Rabbit Head​​: Spicy marinade so flavorful you can suck the bones clean, paired with beer it’s the ultimate late-night snack (don’t worry, it’s milder than duck head). 3️⃣ ​​Hunyuan Cold Noodles​​: Chilled spicy oil + cucumber strips, one bite and the summer heat disappears! 4️⃣ ​​Sea Buckthorn Juice​​: Sour, sweet, and thick like drinking a VC bomb, locals swear Hongya Restaurant is the most authentic~ 5️⃣ ​​Yellow Cake Dipped in Meat Soup​​: Sticky and stretchy, dipped in lamb soup it’s a carb happiness explosion. ​​💰 3-Day Expense List​​ • Accommodation: Xiyun Hotel 2 nights total 1200 RMB (600 per person), smart toilet use makes you not want to go home… • Food: Average 150 RMB/day, shaomai + hot pot + cold noodles bombarding in rotation, on the last day barely able to walk! • Tickets: Yungang 120 + Hanging Temple 100 + Huayan Temple 50, Trip.com combo tickets sometimes discounted~ ​​Overall feeling:​​ Worth every penny! After all, when the Northern Wei breeze blows over your forehead, what’s a wallet? ​​📸 Secret Photo Spots​​ • Left side of the giant Buddha in Yungang Cave 20 at a 45-degree angle, avoid crowds and capture the Buddha’s radiant light~ • Corner of the climbing plank road at Hanging Temple, shoot downward to the cliff below, your social media will instantly get hundreds of likes! • Corner tower of the South Gate on the ancient city wall, at dusk during blue hour + lanterns lit, perfect spot for Hanfu photos. ​​⚠️ Tips and Reminders​​ 1️⃣ Hanging Temple climbing tickets are a hot commodity in peak season! Book on Trip.com 3 days in advance, don’t cry on site like I did… 2️⃣ Datong’s UV rays are super strong, sunscreen + sunglasses are a must! 3️⃣ Taxi drivers might take detours, it’s recommended to book taxis on Trip.com with clear pricing. ​​🙃 Suffering: Queued 2 hours for 10 minutes climbing at Hanging Temple, legs trembling like a sieve and too scared to take out my phone… Waiting at the Drum Tower East Street popular restaurant until starving, ended up squatting by the roadside eating shaomai (but it was really delicious!) ​​🎒 Personal Walking Insights​​ Datong in August feels like it has natural air conditioning, no sweat visiting ancient sites during the day, blowing wind and stargazing on the city wall at night… Who can resist eating rabbit head while listening to Northern Wei gossip! Three days is not enough to explore, next time I want to stay a week and finish all the museums~ ​​Any experts have hidden tips? Drop them in the comments, I’ll bring my 256G stomach and keep going!​​ 🌟