Datong: From Beijing See Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Temple by Train

1    Car
Ensuring a personal pickup in the morning from your central Beijing hotel at 5:30am depending on your train that you purchased. 

2    Train

Suggested timetable:

Beijing-Datong: G2515: 07:05-09:11

3    Car

Upon your arrival in Datong, your local tour guide and the driver will meet you at the Datong Railway Station. Then drive you to the Yun Gang Grottoes, which is 25 kilometers far with 40mins ride.

4    Yungang Grottoes Guided tour (3 hours)

Yungang Grottoes' construction spanned 40 years in the 5th century.

45 grottoes remained out of the original 53, and overall they contain 250 niches and 51,000 Buddhist statues with murals and frescoes which are all masterpiece of ancient Chinese carving art and embodiment of ancient people's religious faith.

Caves 5 and 6 in the middle part of the Yungang Grottoes are the most impressive. There is a 17-meter-tall Buddhist statue which is the largest in the Yungang Grottoes, and many precious sculptures telling the story of Sakyamuni.

5    Car

In the afternoon, we will transfer 1.5 hour to the south of Datong to the Hanging Monastery which was built 1,500 years ago. 

6    Hanging Temple

This unique monastery hangs 50 meters above the ground on the cliff side of Mount Heng (Heng Shan), one of China's Five Sacred Taoist Mountains.

Topped by ornate upswept roofs, this monastery is supported by crossbeams driven into the cliff, and consists of 40 rooms connected by corridors and bridges, and filled with about 80 bronze, iron, and clay statues. Drink in the stunning views from the cliff face, and see the rock overhang above that shelters the temples from the worst of the elements.

7    Car & Train

After that transfer you back to the railway station for the high speedy train back to Beijing. The driver will meet you at the railway station & take you back to the Beijing hotel.

Suggested train timetable:

Datong-Beijing: G2528: 19:29-21:25