Population: 3,463,000

Area: 14,176 square kilometers (5,473 square miles)

Location: in the north of Shanxi Province, north China

Administrative Division: 4 districts (Chengqu, Kuangqu, Nanjiao, Xinrong); 6 counties (Yanggao, Tianzhen, Guangling, Lingqiu, Hunyuan, Zuoyun)

Area Code: 0352

Zip Code: 037000

GDP (2019): CNY 131.88 billion (USD 19.12 billion)  

Famous for Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Monastery & Mt. Hengshan

Datong is the second-largest city in Shanxi. It is situated in northern Shanxi and bordered by Inner Mongolia to the north and Hebei to the east. As an important energy base in China, Datong has abundant and high-quality coal which is the outstanding industrial power fuel. Datong is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in China due to its magnificent and picturesque Mt. Hengshan. It has many religious buildings, especially the Hanging Monastery, the world’s oldest wooden pagoda hanging in the cliff.

In addition, Datong has preserved many exquisite sculptured reliefs in Chinese history. Taking the sculptures in Yungang Grottoes, Huayan Temple and Shanhua temple as examples, they have created the pinnacle of Chinese sculpture art. Now, the Chinese Sculpture Museum in the north city wall displays the works of modern Chinese and foreign sculptors in different forms every year.