Datong
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Datong (Chinese: 大同; pinyin: Dàtóng) is a city in the northern Shanxi Province in China, and is located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of 1090 meters. It has a population of approximately 3.11 million.
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[edit] History
The town was founded as Píngchéng (平城) in 200 BC during the Han Dynasty. Located near the Great Wall Pass to Inner Mongolia it blossomed during the following period and became a stop-off point for Camel Caravans moving from China into Mongolia and beyond. It was sacked at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Pingcheng became the capital of Northern Wei from 398 AD until 494 AD. The famous Yungang Grottoes (云岗石窟 Yúngǎng Shíkù) were constructed during the later part of this period (460 – 494 AD).
The city was renamed Datong in 1048 AD and sacked again at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1649 AD), but promptly rebuilt in 1652 AD.
[edit] Tourism
The Yungang Grottoes, or Cloud Ridge Caves (云岗石窟 yún gǎng shí kù）are a collection of shallow caves located 16 km west of Datong. There are over 50,000 carved images and statues of Buddhas and Boddhisatvas within these grootes, ranging from 4 centimeters to 7 meters tall. Most of these icons are around 1000 years old.
Within the city itself, there are a few surviving sites of historical interest such as the Nine Dragon Screen (九龙壁 jiǔ lóng bì）, the Huayan Monastery（华严寺 huá yán sì）, and the Shanhua Monastery（善化寺 shàn huà sì). Further afield is the Hanging Temple (悬空寺 xuán kong sì) built into a cliff face near Mount Heng. Most of the historical sites in this region date to the Tang and Ming dynasties, but the Hanging Temple dates to the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534).
The railway locomotive works (see below) began to attract increasing numbers of railway enthusiasts from the 1970s. When construction of steam locomotives was phased out, the authorities did not want to lose this valuable tourism market, and pondered the possibility of developing a steam railway operating centre as an attraction. A number of study visits were undertaken to the East Lancashire Railway at Bury, and a twinning arrangement was concluded with that town.
[edit] Economy
The GDP per capita was ¥10550 (ca. US$1270) per annum in 2003, ranked no. 242 among 659 Chinese cities. Coal mining is the dominant industry.
Datong has a large railway locomotive works, where the 'Aiming Higher' class of steam locomotive was built as late as the 1970s, possibly the last place still constructing steam engines.
[edit] Colleges and universities
- Datong University (大同大学)
[edit] Twin towns
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Datong Report Main Page — Virtual walks, photographs and backgrounds on Datong City and Yungang Grottoes, Northern Shanxi by China Report.com.
- atmosphere in the downtown of Datong — video
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