Breakfast→Huyangmen Square→Hanging Monastery→Yong'an Temple→Lunch→Ying County Wooden Pagoda→Pure Land Temple→Huyangmen Square→Dinner
💰Average Cost per Person: 10 RMB 📖English Menu: Not available ⏰Operating Hours: 07：30-14：00，18：00-20：30 If you're not interested in your hotel's breakfast and can wake up early, we highly recommend trying this classic Datong breakfast spot near Heyang Square. This long-established eatery has been a staple in Datong since the early 1980s. It was originally run by Wang Jinping's father in a tin shack at the corner of Dabeijie Street, serving lamb offal soup. In the 1990s, after Wang Jinping was laid off, he took over the shop and replaced the lamb offal with tofu, unexpectedly creating the famous Datong snack "Fen Doufu" (Tofu Noodles). Today, the shop is managed by the third generation, with the main store located at No. 33 Laoyanyun Street and several other branches, making it a must-visit breakfast spot for locals. Although it hasn't received official intangible cultural heritage recognition, it consistently ranks high on Datong's food lists and has been featured in media outlets such as Datong News Network and Sanlian Life Weekly. Tourists often describe it as "more authentic than internet-famous spots." Customer Reviews: "The fried dough soaked in soup is so flavorful it feels like an out-of-body experience." "The chili is the essence—spicy enough to be satisfying but not too harsh on the stomach." "You can eat to your heart's content for just 6 RMB per person. Locals have been eating here since childhood."
💰 Ticket price: 39 RMB ⏰ Opening hours: Two departures at 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM; we recommend the 7:30 AM departure. 📷 Recommended visit duration: 1.5 hours Cancellation Policy: Full refund if canceled more than 24 hours before departure; otherwise, a cancellation fee will apply. Boarding Point: Datong Ancient City, Heyangmen Square (search "Heyangmen Square" in your navigation app). When you arrive, you will find a bus parked by the roadside. After boarding the bus, a staff member will check your ticket. At this point, you will need to open the QR code on your phone for them to scan.
Upon arrival at Hengshan Visitor Center after approximately 1.5 hours, you will find shuttle buses heading in two directions: one to the Xuankong Temple and the other to the Hengshan Scenic Area. To reach either attraction, you must take the shuttle bus, as it is the only way to get to the actual entrance of the scenic areas. Shuttle bus tickets can be purchased at the service counter for 20 RMB round trip. Note that the Xuankong Temple is quite far, so the shuttle bus is a necessary expense. If you plan to climb the Xuankong Temple, you will need to purchase an additional ticket for entry. If you haven't successfully booked online, you can try purchasing tickets on-site. Morning ticket availability is generally sufficient, though you may need to wait in line for some time. Hengshan Visitor Center Ticket Office Hours: 6:30 AM - 4:30 PM Xuankong Temple Entrance Hours: 6:30 AM - 5:30 PM If you need a caffeine boost, there is a CHAGEE tea shop 💰Average Cost per Person: 20 RMB 📖English Menu: Available ⏰Operating Hours: 8:00 - 18:00 CHAGEE is a new-style tea brand that focuses on "fresh milk tea with original leaves," blending traditional Chinese tea culture with modern innovation. With over 6,000 stores worldwide, CHAGEE offers a unique tea experience. The shop is conveniently located near the ticket window and shuttle bus transfer area, making it easy to grab a drink while purchasing tickets or waiting for the shuttle. The interior design features local cultural elements such as the Hengshan and Xuankong Temple, creating a rich cultural atmosphere. Recommended Drinks： Boya Juexian: A classic with over 600 million cups sold, made with Yunnan jasmine snow bud tea and fresh milk, offering a refreshing and smooth taste. Meng Meilong: Made with high-quality oolong tea from southern Fujian, melon concentrate, and real melon pieces, providing a refreshing and lasting flavor. Guifu Lanxiang: Made with oolong tea and Guangxi osmanthus, combined with high-quality milk, offering a rich and long-lasting aroma.
After finishing your visit to the Xuankong Temple, you can head to "Yong’an Chan Temple." Using the Didi app, set your destination to "Yong’an Chan Temple." The ride will take approximately 10 minutes and is about 3.3 kilometers away. Public transportation is not recommended, as it takes over 50 minutes and requires walking 2.5 kilometers.
💰 Ticket price: 20 RMB ⏰ Opening hours: Summer: 8:00 - 18:00 Spring and Autumn (March, April, October): 8:30 - 17:00 Winter (January, February, November, December): 8:50 AM - 16:30 📷 Recommended visit duration: 1.5-2 hours Note: Photography is prohibited inside the halls. Please maintain silence and avoid touching the murals during your visit. About Yong’an Chan Temple: If the Xuankong Temple of Hunyuan is a thrilling and awe-inspiring legend, then Yong’an Chan Temple is a place of tranquility and solemnity, enriched by the passage of time. This ancient temple, originally built during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), has undergone several reconstructions during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. In the second year of the Yuan Dynasty's Yanyou era (1315), Gao Pu, the grandson of Gao Ding, donated funds to build the main hall, Chuanfa Traditional Hall, establishing the core layout of the temple. The temple has since been renovated multiple times during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with existing structures primarily reflecting Yuan Dynasty styles, supplemented by Qing Dynasty additions. The temple continues to be a site of active worship. In 2001, Yong’an Chan Temple was listed as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit, and its Yuan Dynasty water and land murals in the Chuanfa Traditional Hall were included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2014. Similar to the Xuankong Temple, Yong’an Chan Temple is also a place where the "Three Teachings" (Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism) coexist. Its murals and architectural elements blend Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Shamanistic cultures. The temple has no monks or Buddha statues, but its murals are contemporary treasures.
Hunyuan County, located in Datong, Shanxi, lies at the foot of Mount Heng. Its cuisine blends the flavors of northern Shanxi with local characteristics, known for its hearty, tangy, and appetizing dishes that emphasize the natural taste and nourishing properties of the ingredients. We recommend three local favorite restaurants for you to enjoy. Typically, the portions are generous, so one dish per person or four dishes for three people is usually sufficient. You can always order more if needed.
From the Hengshan Visitor Center, there are buses to Yingxian Wooden Pagoda at 12:30 PM and 1:55 PM. Plan your time accordingly to catch one of these buses. If you miss them, you will need to stay in the area or take the 4:00 PM, 4:30 PM, or 5:00 PM buses back to Datong. The tour bus will drop you off at the square in front of Jingtusi Temple, and from there, it's a 700-meter walk to the south gate of the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda scenic area.
📷 Recommended visit duration: 40 minutes - 1 hour The construction of the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda began in the 15th year of the reign of Emperor Xingzong of the Liao Dynasty (1056 AD). At that time, Yingxian was within the borders of the Liao Kingdom, just 10 kilometers from the Song Kingdom, making it a crucial border defense point. To facilitate military observation without disrupting the apparent peace between the two nations, Empress Dowager Xiao (the Wise Empress) oversaw the construction of a "Buddhist Palace Temple" in Yingxian. Officially, it was declared to be for praying for the Liao Kingdom and enshrining the Buddha's tooth relic, embodying the Liao Dynasty's governance philosophy of "ruling the heart with Buddhism." This temple served both defensive and religious purposes, using the finest materials and craftsmen to create a pure wooden pagoda. Weighing over 7,400 tons, with a base diameter of 30.27 meters and a height of 67.31 meters (equivalent to a 20-story building), it was built without a single iron nail. It is the tallest and oldest existing wooden pagoda in the world, alongside the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower, known as one of the "Three Great Towers of the World." In 2019, it was certified by Guinness World Records as the "World's Tallest Wooden Pagoda," a masterpiece in the history of wooden architecture. The pagoda appears to have five stories with six eaves, but it actually has nine levels due to hidden layers. Its core design is a tube-in-tube structure: 24 outer wooden columns and 8 inner wooden columns form a double-layered tube, connected by brackets and diagonal braces, functioning like modern building "shock absorbers" to effectively dissipate earthquake energy. The pagoda uses 54 different types of brackets, with over 2,000 sets in total, earning it the title of "Bracket Museum." Brackets are interlocking wooden blocks that support the eaves' weight and dissipate energy during vibrations through friction. When you look up at the pagoda, the layers of brackets resemble blooming lotus flowers, perfectly blending mechanics and aesthetics. What are Brackets? Brackets are typically hidden under the eaves, composed of intricately carved wooden blocks stacked like "human pyramids." The bottom block, resembling a small table, rests on a column, while the upper blocks extend outward like open hands, ultimately supporting the entire eave. From a distance, they look like a circle of "wooden petals" growing under the eaves, both sturdy and beautiful. The roof's weight is gradually transferred through these "petals" to the columns, calculated with precise mechanics. In ancient China, the size, layers, and decoration of brackets indicated a building's status. For example, the brackets in the imperial palace might have dozens of layers with dragon and phoenix carvings, while ordinary houses could only use simple brackets or none at all, similar to how European noble castles have more elaborate stone carvings than commoners' houses, symbolizing hierarchy. While European architecture often uses stone arches, ancient Chinese craftsmen used wood to create brackets, making heavy roofs appear light and poetic. Just as Leonardo da Vinci painted the "Mona Lisa" with oil paint, Chinese artists used ink to create the "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains"—different materials, but both are marvels of human ingenuity. The entire pagoda was built without a single iron nail, relying entirely on mortise and tenon joints. The protruding "tenons" fit perfectly into the recessed "mortises," like puzzle pieces. This design gives the structure flexibility—during earthquakes, the wooden components can shift slightly without breaking and return to their original positions afterward. The pagoda has withstood multiple strong earthquakes: the 1305 Huairen earthquake (magnitude 8) and the 1626 Lingqiu earthquake (magnitude 7), which destroyed surrounding buildings but left the pagoda unscathed. In 1926, during warlord conflicts, the pagoda was hit by over 200 shells, leaving visible scars, but the main structure remained intact. The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is not just a building but a living history. It tells the story of ancient Chinese wisdom—how to remain humble and resilient in the face of natural forces, and how to integrate faith, art, and science. The pagoda's five levels enshrine different Buddhas, symbolizing the Buddhist cosmology of the "Five Directions and Five Buddhas." It is both a religious sanctuary and a symbol of the union of imperial and divine power. Experts assert that the pagoda represents the limits of material science; even an additional 100 tons of weight would have prevented it from standing today. Currently, many components of the pagoda are damaged, and the structure has a slight tilt. For the protection of the monument and visitors, only the first level is accessible, so the magnificent upper levels and intricate wooden structures cannot be seen in person. Therefore, we have prepared an introduction for you—
Well, Yingxian is a small county with a population of only 230,000, so for coffee and tea, you can only find some chain brands like "Luckin Coffee" or "Mixue Bingcheng." As soon as you exit the south gate of the Wooden Pagoda scenic area, you will find these options on the opposite street. You can visit them yourself or use the Alipay ordering system to get an English menu. Luckin Coffee might have a special collaboration coffee with "Nezha 2" called "Magic Marzipan Apricot Water" (with Chinese-English translation). The main ingredients include coffee beans, white grapefruit juice concentrate, sparkling water, apricot jam, and original flavor crystal balls. If you're interested, you can give it a try. Fortunately, the local sea buckthorn is quite noteworthy, and we recommend a nearby shop for you to try.
Exit the south gate of the scenic area and return to the place where you got off the tour bus. From there, it's a 700-meter walk to reach Jingtusi Temple.
💰 Ticket price: 15 RMB, no reservation required. 📷 Recommended visit duration: 0.5 hours Note: The last tour bus back to Datong departs at 5:00 PM. In 1933, architect Liang Sicheng discovered this "forgotten treasure of history" while inspecting the Wooden Pagoda. He was astonished by the intricate design of the caisson ceiling, calling it a "national treasure." Today, Jingtusi Temple and the Wooden Pagoda are both key national cultural heritage sites, but they differ greatly in style: the Wooden Pagoda is a mechanical marvel of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), while Jingtusi Temple represents the aesthetic pinnacle of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). Yingxian is known for its three treasures, one of which is the Wooden Pagoda, while the other two are housed in Jingtusi Temple. This temple dates back 1,200 years and was once a large temple complex. However, it was mostly destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. Today, only a small portion of its essence remains, including the "Heavenly Palace Caisson Ceiling" and the "Liao Dynasty Stone Lions." Even this small portion is enough to leave us in awe. Upon entering, head directly to the The Shakya ManiHall:
After exiting Jingtusi Temple, head to the tourist bus location to return to Heyangmen Square. Please note that the afternoon buses only run at 16:00, 16:30, and 17:00, so be sure not to miss them.
After a day of traveling, you must be in need of a hearty meal to comfort your stomach. We have selected four excellent dining spots for you to enjoy. We hope you have a wonderful meal!
As the city lights up, a dialogue spanning time quietly concludes. The wishes of a Taoist master from 1500 years ago, transformed into the hanging pavilions on sheer cliffs, the calligraphy of Li Bai, and the praises of Xu Xiake still echo in the wind around the eaves. The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, with its "nail-less" construction, has withstood a thousand years of wind and rain, while the murals of Yong'an Temple capture historical moments in vibrant colors, and the caisson ceiling of Jingtusi Temple carves the wisdom of craftsmen into an eternal galaxy. Only by visiting in person will you understand that this place is celebrated not because "Black Myth: Wukong" was filmed here, but quite the opposite—because of its millennia-old beauty, it has become a treasure trove continuously explored by filmmakers, painters, and game developers. The brilliance of these ancient artworks stems not only from the Chinese pursuit of "immortality" but also from profound religious philosophies. Whether it was the Taoist masters and craftsmen of 1500 years ago, Li Bai of 1300 years ago, Xu Xiake of 600 years ago, Liang Sicheng of 100 years ago, or you today, and those ancient temples, murals, and caisson ceilings, we are all inseparable parts of the vast universe and different manifestations of the essence called "Buddha." Today, we are fortunate to meet them here, and in the future, if you feel a similar emotion elsewhere, you will know—it is another reunion. Good night. Oh, and if you enjoyed today's itinerary, please don't hesitate to leave us a positive review. It would greatly help other travelers considering a trip to China. Of course, if there was anything that did not meet your expectations, please let us know promptly. Your feedback will help us continually improve our services. Thank you very much.
1. At religious sites like the Hanging Monastery and Yong'an Temple, please do not speak loudly or casually touch Buddhist statues and murals; follow the signs during your visit. Some areas prohibit photography, please strictly adhere to this.
2. The Hanging Monastery has two types of tickets: entrance tickets and climbing tickets. You need to purchase a 15 yuan entrance ticket to enter the scenic area, but if you want to climb the Hanging Monastery, you need to buy a 100 yuan climbing ticket.
3. Please wear comfortable shoes, paying special attention to anti-slip measures; the Hanging Monastery is quite steep.
4. Try to carry a power bank to ensure your phone is charged.
5. Please do not carry too many belongings, especially avoid knives or fragile items.
6. Bring a jacket or sunscreen as needed. In autumn and winter, you need to pay attention to warmth issues in Shanxi.
7. Try to choose an earlier tour bus so there are fewer people; the scenery will be nicer, and you can catch up on sleep on the bus.
8. If you prefer cost-effective accommodation options, it is recommended to stay near Yunzhong Road, Yingbin Street, or Caichangcheng Street. There are more characterful guesthouses in the ancient city, which are relatively expensive. Although transportation is not very convenient, they have a unique charm.
9. Don’t forget to bring your passport.
10. Carry 200-500 yuan in cash.
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★ 5.0 / 5 · 8 reviews from app travelers
The Hanging Monastery is one of those places you have to see to believe — a temple pinned to a cliff face for 1,500 years, praised by Li Bai and Xu Xiake. The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda left my kids speechless: an extraordinary wooden tower. The Yong'an Temple murals were a beautiful bonus. A day of true wonder.
The Hanging Monastery at the cliff is even more dramatic in person — walkways suspended over the gorge, 1,500 years old. Then Yingxian's wooden pagoda: a miracle of interlocking timber that survived a millennium of earthquakes. If you played Black Myth: Wukong, these sites will give you chills. Datong's outskirts hold some of China's best sights.
Das Hängende Kloster klebt seit 1500 Jahren an der Felswand, und der Yingxian-Holzpagode hat ohne einen einzigen Nagel Erdbeben und Kriege überstanden – beide am selben Tag, und der Mut und das Können der alten Baumeister reichen für eine ganze Reise zum Nachdenken. Datong lohnt eine eigene Anreise.
This felt like the “how is this even possible?” day. The Hanging Temple was the headline—built into the cliff and still standing, which just broke my brain as an engineer. Then seeing ancient murals at Yong’an Temple and the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda added a different kind of awe—especially the wooden structure idea, it’s like ancient architecture confidence on max level. Winter roads and timing could’ve been stressful, but the day ran smoothly, and the food stops made it feel like a real journey, not just a rushed checklist.
La structure des poutres du monastère suspendu force le respect — des « ingénieurs en structure » d’il y a 1500 ans ont créé un miracle en bois sur une falaise. Et la pagode de bois de Yingxian, sans un seul clou, défie les siècles : un hommage aux limites du bois.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time on this tour. The Hengshan temple is a singular attraction. It felt somewhat symbolic of the historical significance of Datong as a place where cultures have mixed on various occasions over the centuries. Navigating outside of the main tourist hubs in China can still be a little challenging for foreigners such as myself. The Chinese are extremely friendly and helpful but nonetheless I really appreciated the detail packed into this itinerary, opening up new cultural and culinary opportunities for me that I otherwise would not have had!
More ideas for a day you’ll remember.
Self-guided tour
Self-guided tour