Yungang Grottoes is a must-see in Datong.

Yungang Grottoes, originally named Lingyan Temple and Shifo Temple, is located on the southern slope of Wuzhou Mountain, 17 km west of Datong, Shanxi Province. It is one of the most famous grottoes in China. The construction of Yungang Grottoes began in the Northern Wei Dynasty. In the third year of the Huangshi period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Emperor Daowu Tuoba Gui moved the capital to Pingcheng, and Wuzhou Mountain became a major transportation hub between Shengle and Pingcheng. After Emperor Wencheng Tuoba Jun ascended the throne, he ordered the monk Tan Yao to preside over the restoration of Buddhism. With the support of Emperor Wencheng, Tan Yao chose Wuzhou Mountain, a place of great natural beauty, to "carve five caves into the mountain, each with a Buddha statue, the tallest being 70 feet high, the second tallest being 60 feet high, and the carvings were magnificent and unique." Most of the caves in Yungang were completed before Emperor Xiaowen Yuan Hong moved the capital to Luoyang, but the construction of the statues continued until the Zhengguang period. The construction of Yungang Grottoes lasted about 150 years, spanning the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, and Tang dynasties. There are 45 main caves, 252 small caves, and more than 59,000 stone statues, making it a treasure of Chinese grotto art. Yungang Grottoes is also a World Cultural Heritage site. If you are interested, you can come and see it.