Self-driving tour of Datong Ancient City.

On October 2, 2024, I drove to Datong, Shanxi, and visited Datong Ancient City the next day. Chinese name: Datong Ancient City Location: Pingcheng District, Datong, Shanxi Climate: Temperate continental monsoon climate Opening hours: Spring and autumn: 6:00–24:00; Summer: 5:00–2:00; Winter: 7:00–22:00 Scenic level: Includes 3 AAAA scenic areas Ticket price: Free (Huayan Temple charges separately) Area: 3.28 km2 Famous attractions: Datong Ancient City Wall, Huayan Temple, Shanhua Temple, Nine Dragon Wall, Drum Tower, Daiwang Mansion, Fuwen Temple, Dijun Temple, Chunyang Palace, Liang Sicheng Memorial Hall, China Sculpture Museum Datong Ancient City is located in Pingcheng District, Datong, Shanxi. It has a long history, and as early as the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was already a large city. In the early Ming Dynasty, it was a military stronghold, and in 1372, General Xu Da expanded it on the basis of the old city of the Northern Wei, Tang, Liao, and Jin Dynasties. It is roughly square, 1.8 km long from east to west, 1.82 km long from north to south, with a circumference of 7.24 km and an area of 3.28 km2. The city walls are made of stone slabs and bricks, with a height of 14 m, a width of 12 m at the top, and a width of 18 m at the bottom. There are 54 watchtowers and 96 bunkers around the city walls. There are 580 battlements, representing the number of villages under Datong's jurisdiction at that time. There are corner towers at the four corners of the city walls, and a military control platform outside each corner. There are four gates in the city, Heyang Gate in the east, Yongtai Gate in the south, Qingyuan Gate in the west, and Wuding Gate in the north. There are city towers above the four gates, and moon towers, arrow towers, watchtowers, and corner towers are interspersed. Outside the four gates, there are urn cities, moon cities, and moats. The city walls are tall and majestic, solid and steep, with tight defenses and complete defensive facilities. It is a unique military city in the history of ancient Chinese military architecture. Because of its important position in the northern frontier, it played an important role in many battles. Therefore, it has always been known as the "majestic town" and "northern key." In 2008, Datong City implemented a comprehensive historical and cultural revival and ancient city protection project, and Datong Ancient City Wall was restored again. The majestic ancient city wall, the rippling moat, and the beautiful and pleasant strip park complement the ancient temples, pavilions, and courtyards in the ancient city, and the glory of Datong Ancient City as the "Northern Wei Imperial Capital and Ming and Qing Town" is reappearing.