By using the high-speed train, you can easily arrive in Datong from Beijing in just two hours, and it is now possible to take a day trip to the World Heritage Site, the Yungang Grottoes.
Daido
It is located in northern Shanxi Province, 50 kilometers inside the Great Wall.
Over a thousand wars have been fought in this area between the Han Chinese and the nomadic tribes of the north.
Once you leave the city, you can see remains of signal towers scattered across the loess earth.
In 398, the Xianbei Tuoba clan founded the Northern Wei Dynasty with its capital in Datong. In 495, during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, the capital was moved to Luoyang. During the intervening century, the country prospered greatly, and construction of the Yungang Grottoes also began during this time.
Yungang Grottoes
A cave temple stretching 1 kilometer east to west, 16 km west of Datong city.
There are currently 53 major caves and 51,000 statues, making it a world-famous treasure trove of art.
It was first excavated in the 12th year of the Xing'an era of the Northern Wei Dynasty (453).
In Chinese history, there have been four edicts to abolish Buddhism, the first of which was issued by Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty in 446. The next emperor, Wencheng, restored Buddhism, and with this restoration began the excavation of the Yungang Grottoes.
Among the three great caves in China, this one has a high artistic appeal even today due to the majesty of its stone statues and the richness of its contents. The other two are the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang and the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, and are often compared with "Dunhuang Art, Cloud Dragon Sculptures."
Hanging Temple
It is located in the valley of Tianfengling, the main peak of Mount Hengshan, one of the Five Mountains of China and a sacred place for Taoism.
The temple is built 75 meters above ground, clinging to the cliff rocks.
It was founded 1,500 years ago at the end of the Northern Wei dynasty (early 6th century).
Holes were drilled into the cliff 26 meters above the valley floor, beams were inserted to form the foundation, and the building was then constructed on top of this. As a result, the pavilions spread out as if clinging to the mountainside, and are connected by plank walkways. Below the temple is a rapids, and the building appears to literally hang in the sky.
It houses over 80 Buddhist statues made from bronze, iron, clay and stone, and the walls are engraved with poems by famous people from past generations.
The Three Teaching Hall, built at the highest point, houses statues of Shakyamuni, Laozi, and Confucius, and is a concrete expression of the idea of bringing together ancient Chinese culture, thought, and religion, and of the "unification of the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism."
