A Must-Have for the Lazy! Easy One-Day Tour Route of Datong Ancient City

Datong Ancient City is a city with a long history, whose city walls date back to the Northern Wei period and were expanded by the Ming Dynasty General Xu Da on the original foundation. Here is a travel guide prepared for you to explore Datong Ancient City: 🏯 Complete Guide to Touring Datong Ancient City ℹ️ Attraction Overview Datong Ancient City Wall is open to the public for free, operating from 9:00 AM to 10:30 PM. The wall is 7,200 meters long and has four main city gates: · East Gate and Heyang Gate: Overlook Fahua Temple and Taiping Tower. · South Gate Yongtai Gate: The largest city gate, overlooking Shanhua Temple and Emperor’s Temple, with a music fountain at night. · West Gate Qingyuan Gate: Overlooks Qipan Street and Huayan Temple. · North Gate Wuding Gate: Offers a view of Kuixing Tower. 🗺️ Tour Route 🚶 One-Day Tour of the Ancient City 1. Morning: Enter the city wall from the East Gate (Heyang Gate), visit Fahua Temple and Taiping Tower. 2. Noon: Head to the Drum Tower area and taste local specialties at Longjuxiang or Zini 369. 3. Afternoon: Visit Guandi Temple, Prince Dai’s Mansion, and the Nine-Dragon Wall (the foremost of China’s three major Nine-Dragon Walls). Then visit Huayan Temple (a Liao and Jin royal temple housing the "Eastern Venus" Bodhisattva with hands clasped and teeth showing) and Shanhua Temple. 4. Evening: Enter the city wall from the South Gate (Yongtai Gate) to enjoy the ancient city night view. Bicycle (90 minutes for 30 yuan), tandem bike (90 minutes for 50 yuan), and electric cart (30 yuan per person) rentals are available on the wall. 🍜 Food Recommendations · Knife-Cut Noodles: Recommended at Xijin Dao, near Huayan Temple. · Shaomai: Longjuxiang’s shaomai has thin skin and large filling, made fresh on site. Fenglingge’s Baihua Shaomai is also worth trying. · Other specialties: Fenglingge’s sweet and sour meatballs, Hunyuan cold noodles, Zini 369’s oil-splashed scallion oat noodles, and Longjuxiang’s secret royal chicken. 💡 Practical Tips · Transportation: Bicycles, tandem bikes, and electric carts are available for rent on the city wall. Rental points are at all gates except the North Gate. · Best Time to Visit: In spring, crabapple flowers bloom along the moat; in summer, lotus flowers flourish in the moat; in autumn, the leaves under the city wall turn yellow, perfect for photos; in winter, enjoy the snowy scenery from the city wall after snowfall. · Friendly Reminder: The city wall ride is fully exposed, so please take sun protection seriously. It is recommended to visit before 8 AM or after 4 PM, and bring sunglasses, hats, and other sun protection items. Datong Ancient City combines history, culture, and cuisine. We hope this guide helps you better plan your trip and leave wonderful memories in this millennia-old city.