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 at the back became its support. The Hanging Monastery appears to be a
tumble-down castle in the air.
The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda was built in 1056 and is the world's oldest and tallest
wooden Buddhist Pagoda. The pagoda stands at 66.6 meters tall with a 30-meter diameter
and weighs over 300 tons. Made up of at least 3,500 cubic meters of wood, the pagoda is
octagonal in shape and contains nine floors.
Built without the use of nails, the entire
structure is solid, imposing, and elegant. It has weathered over 900 years of wind and storm,
yet has remained intact despite many strong earthquakes.
This tour brings you to visit some of the most interesting architectual build in Datong. Firstly, you will visit the Yungang Grottoes, which were built against the mountain and extend about 1 kilometer from east to west. The construction of the caves was started in 453 and took 50 years to complete. Some 40,000 people, including Buddhists from what is now Sri Lanka, contributed to the huge project.
Next, we will stop by Huayan Temple, which is the largest and most perfectly preserved temple of the Liao (916-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties in China. It survived wars and disorders, rises and declines of times.
Then we will visit Shan Hua Temple is located inside of Datong City and was originally founded in 713A.D. during the Tang Dynasty. The buildings of the temple were destroyed during wartimes,and were rebuilt during the Jin Dynasty (1115 AD-1234 AD). It is one of the best preserved temples of that dynasty, covering an area of nearly 14, 000 square meters.
The Datong Nine Dragon Screen was built over 600 years ago, and is presently the oldest and largest glazed screen in China. It is three times larger than that in Beihai Park, Beijing.The design of the body is that of a green wave on the lower part and a blue and yellow cloud on the upper part. It consists of nine flying dragons, with a golden-scaled, shiny-eyed dragon located in the center. On each side of the central dragon is a pair of light yellow dragons with their heads pointed East and tails pointed towards the central dragon.
Spend full day with accompany of professional tour guide and private transfer to explore the historical relics in Datong. On this guided tour, you will visit one of the four most famous grottoes in China - Yungang Grottoes, and explore the peculiar wood-structured Hanging Monastery on the cliff at the foot of Mt. Hengshan.
Enjoy private transfer to start the highlight day trip in Datong. Your will firstly come to visit the Yungang Grottoes - the most majestic spot in the city and one of the largest grotto-groups in China. It is a relic of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and there are now 53 grottoes with 51000 statues remaining. Listed as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 2001, Yungang Grottoes represent the excellent achievement of Buddhist sculptural art of ancient China.
After having lunch in a local restaurant, continue to visit the peculiar wood-structured Hanging Monastery on the cliff at the foot of Hengshan Mountain. Built in 491, Hanging Monastery has a history of more than 1400 years. Seen from below, it appears to be a tumbledown castle in the air, which gives a breath-taking view of Chinese architecture. Listen to your guide’s commentary of its history, and walk into the Monastery to explore this rare architecture.
Datong was once the political, economic and military center of ancient North China, which left the city with a series of splendid historic and cultural relics. On this private day tour, local guide will accompany you to visit the Yungang Grottoes, the Huayan Monastery and the Nine Dragons Screen.
Our local tour guide will pick you up from your Datong hotel and transfer you to start the Datong highlight day tour. You will firstly visit the Yungang Grottoes, one of the four most famous grottoes in China. The grottoes were excavated along Wuzhou Mountain, extending 1 km from east to west, revealing 45 major caves and over 51,000 stone statues, it is a relic of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). Follow your guide to visit the fascinating ancient grottoes and reveal the story of past glory.
Later enjoy lunch in local restaurant and continue the sightseeing to Huayan Monastery - the largest and best preserved monastery of the Liao Dynasty (907 - 1125) in existence in China, it is very unique as it faces east instead of south. The last site you will visit today is the Nine Dragons Screen, the oldest and largest glazed screen in China, it was built over 600 years ago and displays nine vivid and different shaped dragons.
With our professional tour guide and private transfer, spend the day exploring the historical relics and Chinese architecture in Datong. You will visit the peculiar wood-structured Hanging Monastery on the cliff at the foot of Mt. Hengshan, and the oldest and highest wooden structure in China - Yingxian County Wooden Pagoda. Our local tour guide will pick you up from your Datong hotel and transfer you to the first stop of Hanging Monastery.
Because of the numerous pagodas in Datong it has been known as the 'City of Pagodas'. The peculiar wood-structured Hanging Monastery on the cliff at the foot of Mt. Hengshan gives a breath-taking view of Chinese architecture. Built in 491, Hanging Monastery has survived more than 1400 years. It is an architectural wonder. Seen from below, it appears to be a tumble-down castle in the air. Walk into the Monastery to explore this rare architecture and discover its history.
After having lunch in a local restaurant, move on to visit the Wooden Pagoda in Ying County. Regarded as the 'First Pagoda in the World', the Wooden Pagoda has about 900 years of history and is attractive for its exquisite design and delicate appearance. The Pagoda appears as a five-storey structure, but in fact it has a total of nine storeys with four hidden inside. And large Buddha statues hosted in the Wooden Pagoda are particularly impressive. Afterwards, the tour guide will transfer you back to Datong hotel to conclude the trip.