Shanxi Province

Day Trips

Visit the Hanging Temple, built into a cliff (40 meter or 131 feet above the ground) of Mt. Hengshan. It is the most famous scenic spot in the area. Built more than 1,500 years ago, this temple is notable not only for its location on a sheer precipice, but also because it is the only existing temple with the combination of three Chinese traditional religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.  Learn how this temple was constructed in a unique way, only leaning on the precipitous mountain face and facing a deep valley. Seeing it from the distance you might even think that it is miraculously floating in mid air. Explore Yungang Grottos in the afternoon. The grottoes are caved into the foot of the mountain, stretching about one kilometer from east to west. There are about 45 grottoes of different sizes and more than 51000 Buddhist carvings. It is one of the biggest grottoes in China! The Datong bus tour will pick you up from your hotel or railway station and drop you off at your hotel at the end of the tour. This group tour starts at 8 AM and finishes around 5-6 PM.

Explore the enchanting sights around Datong and be driven in the comfort of a private air-conditioned vehicle. Visit the world-famous Yungang Grottoes, with its huge Buddhas carved in AD 460. The kilometer-long monument is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an artistic treasure trove. Made from sandstone, the largest Buddha is a staggering 56-foot tall while the smallest is just a few centimeters high. You'll then be driven to the Hanging Temple, built over 1,400 years ago during the Northern Wei Dynasty, then rebuilt in the Tang, Jin, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Standing 50 metres high in the air, the temple is unique not only in its concern for harmony and order, but also in its contents. At the Hanging Temple, its 40 perilous halls and pavilions lean straight over Golden Dragon Canyon. See these beautiful, ancient remnants of Buddhist history with a passionate local guide in tow.

After hotel pick–up at 9:00 AM, transfer to visit the Hanging Temple, a temple built into a cliff 75 meters above the ground near Datong City. Discover the temple, built more than 1500 years ago, and marvel at its massive size. Find out more about the only existing temple to combine three Chinese traditional religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Enjoy your lunch in local restaurant before you move on to the Yungang Grottoes, one of the three most famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China. Take in this outstanding example of the Chinese stone carvings from the 5th and 6th centuries. See the 53 major caves, along with 51000 niches housing the same number of Buddha statues. Find out how the grottoes were excavated in the south face of a sandstone cliff. In 2001, the Yungang Grottoes were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the end of the tour, return to your hotel in Datong.

Discover China's Hanging Temple and the Yungang Grottoes on this 2-day tour through Chinese history. Begin from your location in Datong and make your way to the world-famous Yungang Grottoes. Catch the Hanging Temple early next morning and ponder how it sits serenely along steep cliffs. Perched 50 meters high in the air, its 40 perilous halls and pavilions lean straight over Golden Dragon Canyon. Continue to the town of Yinxian and uncover the Wooden Pagoda. Detailed Itinerary: Day 1: Datong - Yungang Grottoes Begin with a pick-up from your location in Datong and head to Yungang Grottoes. Dating back to the 5th-century, the UNESCO World Heritage site is full of rare and splendid sculptures. Take in over 50,000 Buddhist statues over the course of 1 km. Enjoy a delicious lunch before continuing toward the Nine-Dragon Wall, the biggest, oldest, and tallest dragon wall in China. Stop by the historic Huayan Temple, the largest and most well-preserved temple from the Liao and Jin dynasties. Finally, explore the Shuanhua Temple before returning to your hotel for the night. Day 2: Hanging Temple - Yinxian - Datong Enjoy an early morning breakfast before heading toward the Hanging Temple. Located just outside the town of Hunyuan, the temple was built precariously along sheer cliffs above Jinlong Canyon. Make your way through the grounds as you trace back more than 1,400 years of history. In the afternoon, head to Yinxian to see the Wooden Pagoda. At the end of the day, return to your destination in Datong.

Pick-up from your hotel lobby is at 9:00 by local tour guide, aboard a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle to start the highlight day trip from Pingyao. Your first stop will be Shuanglin Temple reputed to be the ancient painted sculptures museum. Listed in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1997, Shuanglin Temple houses more than 2,000 colorful sculptures reflecting the exquisite skills of the artisans of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Head inside the Temple with a history of about 1,400 years, follow your guide to stroll around the large and small halls, and view the vivid and lifelike sculptures. Move on to a local restaurant to enjoy delicious lunch and have a short break. Then drive approximately 1 hours to visit the Wang's Compound -a luxurious residence built during 1762-1811 of the Wang Family. Wang's Compound is not only an example of residential architecture, but also a museum of architectural art. Walk into the courtyard, one can see sculptures of stone, wood and brick everywhere. The architectural groups open for viewing are Gaojia Ya, Hongmen Bao, Chongning Bao, etc. The Painting and Calligraphy Hall displays hundreds of excellent works while Treasure Hall contains collections of furnishings, old coins, porcelains, rare stones and jade carvings. Afterwards, enjoy comfortable transfer back to your hotel to conclude the memorable day trip.