FIND CHINA introduces Datong

Datong is a city in the northern Shanxi Province in China with an elevation of 1090 meters. It has a population of approximately 3.11 million.

The Yungang Grottoes, or Cloud Ridge Caves are a collection of shallow caves located 16 km west of Datong. There are over 50,000 carved images and statues of Buddha’s and Bodhisattvas within these grottoes, ranging from 4 centimetres to 7 meters tall. Most of these icons are around 1000 years old. Within the city itself, there are a few surviving sites of historical interest such as the Nine Dragon Screen, the Huayan Monastery, and the Shanhua Monastery. Slightly further out is the Hanging Temple built into a cliff face near Mount Heng.

Datong airport started operation in May 2005, and airlines to Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and many other big cities are available. Daily trains to Taiyuan, Beijing, Hangzhou, Baotou, Shenyang, etc also run smoothly in Datong Railway Station and four long-distance coach stations are useful and convenient. For getting around the city, buses and taxis are cheap and flexible to choose.

Datong has a continental monsoon climate with four distinctive seasons with an average temperature of 6.8C and sharp temperature differences between day and night. With a 38 C high in the summer months July and august and a -30C low in the winter months of January and February.

In Datong Shaomai that is the staple food of the dinner party sometimes is called Shaomei. Hunyuanshu soybean /broad bean, is a kind of bean farm crop that is said to have five greatest characteristics which are joss-stick, Shu, big, blooming, good-looking skin.