[2025 Datong Attraction] Travel Guide for Datong Museum (Updated Apr)

Datong has been popular for a year because of Black Wukong, but it is also because of its profound historical heritage that it can catch this wave of traffic~ This city is very suitable for calming down and strolling slowly. I have compiled a 2-day and 1-night urban tourist route. Just follow this~- ♾️「Route Suggestions」 DAY1️⃣: Yungang Grottoes➠Datong City Museum➠Datong Ancient City Wall DAY2️⃣ (Ancient City Citywalk): Huayan Temple➠Bell Tower➠Sipailou➠Drum Tower➠Shanhua Temple➠Fuwen Temple➠Dijun Temple➠Guandi Temple➠Taiping Tower➠Fahua Temple - 🔆「Route Highlights and Features」 1️⃣ Yungang Grottoes 💰120 A world cultural heritage and one of the four major grottoes in China, there are many tourists, so go early. If you are interested in statue culture, it is strongly recommended to ask a tour guide for explanation, or make a plan in advance! Otherwise it's just a cursory look. 2️⃣Datong City Museum Free, reservation required The collections in Datong City Museum display many ethnic items, especially items from the Northern Wei, Liao, Jin and Yuan dynasties, which are worth seeing! The original Huayan Temple Chiwen is on display in the museum 3️⃣ Ancient City Wall Entrance from the West Gate and North Gate is free, and the East Gate and South Gate charge 💰10/person to climb the city wall Datong Ancient City Wall is well preserved, and it looks very beautiful when lit up in the evening, and you can see the beautiful scenery of the ancient city~ 4️⃣Huayan Temple 💰50 Huayan Temple is a relatively well-preserved Liao and Jin temple complex. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, but the murals, architectural structures, and Buddha statues are of great research value. The more famous ones are the Chiwen in the Main Hall, the double pavilion-style wall collection, the "Oriental Venus" Bodhisattva statue, the murals... 5️⃣ Shanhua Temple It is also a temple building from the Liao and Jin Dynasties, with the four heavenly kings becoming popular among the black monkeys. 6️⃣ Four Archways The landmark in the center of the ancient city, facing the four directions of east, west, south and north, very distinctive 7️⃣ Nine Dragon Wall One of the largest existing Nine Dragon Walls in China, built in the Ming Dynasty, ordinary mobile phones cannot take a full picture at 1x 8️⃣ Fahua Temple Close to the east gate of the city wall, built in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, there is a glazed Lama Tower inside, the red wall and white tower are very beautiful! - 🍜「Food and Beverage」 Datong also has a lot of carbohydrates, and must-eats include knife-cut noodles, mutton offal noodles, Shunyi jelly, fried pancakes, etc. - 🚌「Transportation」 You can take bus No. 3 to Yungang Grottoes. Most of the places can be reached by bus. It is recommended to walk in the ancient city. It is also convenient to take a taxi when you are tired.

Yungang Grottoes in China’s Datong. There are high figurines for Buddhist emperors of the Sinicized nomadic dynasty of Wei, We travelled to Datong on the 8:40am fast train from Beijing North and organised for the taxi driver we got at the new Datong South station to take us to the caves and then bring us back to the station after a few hours at the caves (we have some basic Chinese language skills) It was certainly very cold but the caves are so amazing that we didn’t even think about how cold we were. The whole place is very well done and seeing the caves is very easy - being so cold (-4 on the day we visited) we did pay the 15Y for the electric bus around the site. We highly recommend the Yungang Grottoes if you have time. #naturaloxygenbar #historicculture #museumquest #museumquest#artgallery#historicculture

The intelligent ancient craftsmen are not only highly skilled, but also deeply understand the principles of architecture. The entire suspended temple is adapted to local conditions, making full use of the natural state of the cliff to arrange and construct various parts of the temple. The temple is not only a single temple, but its eaves have single rafts, heavy rafts and three layers of rafts; the structure has a flat-top structure with a raised beam structure and a bucket arch structure; the roof has a ridge, a ridge, and a barren; the overall appearance is The structure is macro, overlapping, resulting in a kind of cave in the building, there are caves in the building, half-walled temple half-wall caves, caves and buildings, the unique style of the hall. Even if I am a junior player who is just getting started with Chinese ancient architecture, I still know that the difficulty is extraordinary, let alone the millennium before the mechanical conditions are extremely underdeveloped. The wisdom and technology of ancient craftsmen is really admirable.

Want to know Datong, go to the Datong Museum is right! Datong City Museum is a comprehensive museum of geography, belonging to the Datong City Cultural Relics Bureau. The museum was built in 1958 and officially opened to the public in 1959. It was called the Datong Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall. In 1963, it was renamed Datong City Museum. After more than half a century of ups and downs, it has continued to grow and develop. With more than 70,000 pieces of cultural relics in the collection, it is the largest museum in the Jinbei area and a national secondary museum. The museum's exterior is very designed. It is designed by Cui Wei, an outstanding contemporary Chinese architect. It has a basement and three floors above ground. The architectural form of the pavilion is combined with the dragon culture and the grotto culture, and it is in harmony with the typical geomorphological features of the Datong volcanic group, reflecting the regional cultural characteristics of the Hu Han blending. The main body of the building is a spiral structure with two curved bodies rotating. The outer side of the building is arranged with a circular shallow pool and a curved bridge leading to the interior of the building to enhance the overall dynamics of the building. A square square is set on the outside of the building, and a rectangular tree array of 20 meters wide is on the four sides of the square, with green spaces in between. The museum is divided into a basement and three floors above ground, with a partial mezzanine. It includes cultural relics exhibition area, public service area, multi-purpose hall, cultural relics area and office area. The exhibition exhibition of Datong City Museum is divided into a basic exhibition "Daxia Datong - Datong Ancient Cultural Relics Exhibition" and four special exhibition halls "Datong Dinosaur", "Ceramic Road Zhenzhen", "Miao Pen Danqing", "Sanskrit Voiceless", and a temporary exhibition hall.

Datong, the ancient city of Saibei, this is a historical and cultural city that spans thousands of years. It was once the third generation of Jinghua, the place where the two dynasties were important, and it was also a famous city. It is no wonder that some people have said that the rough and mighty Northern Wei gradually reveals the exquisite beauty. After the three-person arrived in Datong, the ancient trees stood on the roadside, the walls were majestic in the distance, the temples were solemn, and the swallows hovered overhead. In the streets, large and new antique buildings and small street lamp landmarks all exude an antique culture.

Datong Museum covers an area of 51,556 square meters, with a basement and three floors above ground. The exhibition area of nearly 10,000 square meters is divided into a series of exhibition halls, four special exhibition halls and a temporary exhibition hall. The collection of cultural relics is said to have 70,000 pieces. The new museum of Datong City has a basic exhibition "Daxia Datong - Datong Ancient Cultural Relics Exhibition", four special exhibition halls "Datong Dinosaur", "Ceramic Road Zhenzhen", "Miao pen Danqing", "Sanskrit Voiceless". The most important exhibits in the pavilion are the unearthed cultural relics of the Sima Jinlong couple's burial cemetery in the second floor of the North District. The fineness of the funerary objects is called a mini terracotta warrior, and the most shocking of them is the lacquered screen on the stone shovel bed. The items are not easy to store, and the screen that is so beautiful and can be preserved to this day has to be said to be a miracle itself.

Bronze pots and bronze swords, these bronze age boutiques have always been the most exquisite treasures in Datong. When you visit a museum in a number of countries, you will see the fine bronzes from the Datong underground.

This city, famous for its coal, has not only black gold but also numerous animal and plant debris. There have been many dinosaurs, rich vegetation, and even ostriches have flourished on this land.

Every historic city has a magnificent museum. This is not a place to hide treasures, but a classroom for reading history.

The Datong Museum is a uniquely designed museum with 250 million years of historical secrets. In the museum, visitors can learn about the survival of the dinosaurs in the land of Datong during the Mesozoic era, and at the same time see the two dinosaur models of the dynamic and static. In the museum, you can also learn about the history of Datong in various periods, including culture, people's livelihood, etc. At the same time, you can appreciate the unearthed cultural relics from different periods, such as bronzes, pottery, pottery figurines, carved Buddha statues, and so on. During the tour, you can pay special attention to the collection of the Qing Dynasty glazed porcelain glazed porcelain pillows in the Yuan Dynasty, the Liao Dynasty glazed enamel, the Tongboshan furnace, the Tongboshan furnace, the Taolian branch lamp, the yellow glazed thuja peony flower jar, etc. It is an invaluable treasure. Transportation: Take bus No. 65 in Datong City to the Datong Museum station. Walk by car and follow the navigation.

Datong is the old capital of the Dai State, a strategic location for defense against nomadic tribes, and is known as the northern key. This is the Weidu Pingcheng, where the Northern Wei Dynasty perfectly combined the grassland nomadic civilization with the Central Plains agricultural civilization, bringing the prosperity of the Shanxi region to its peak. Liao Dynasty Khitan-style porcelain has its own ethnic style, and the main types of vessels include: chicken-crown pots, long-necked bottles, phoenix-head pots, through-strap pots, chicken-leg bottles, and Begonia-shaped plates. Datong's Hunyuan Kiln, Huairen Kiln, and Qingci Kiln are well-known porcelain kilns in the northern region. Qingci Kiln and Huairen Kiln began to produce porcelain in the late Liao and early Jin dynasties, integrating the decorative arts of the Central Plains with the unique customs of the northern frontier. Hunyuan Kiln began firing in the Tang Dynasty, and in the Liao Dynasty, it produced the famous black glaze sgraffito and inlaid celadon. The sgraffito technique first appeared in the Cizhou Kiln in the late Five Dynasties, and the black glaze sgraffito was very popular and was also sold to Goryeo, Japan, and other places.

Datong is definitely a treasure city with delicious food, fun activities, and great shopping. If you don't visit Datong in your lifetime, you'll truly miss out. As a tourist, an overly in-depth experience might not be realistic, but trust me, you need at least three days in Datong to even scratch the surface. First thing in the morning on Day 1, visit Huayan Temple and Shanhua Temple in the ancient city. The morning sunlight is ideal for appreciating the murals and statues. At these two locations, you can see the grand Liao and Jin Dynasty architecture, exquisite ancient statues, and contemporary mural masterpieces. After visiting these two places, it'll likely be noon. Grab a quick lunch and head to the Yungang Grottoes. Make sure to hire a guide there. You don't need an expensive one; the basic price is sufficient. Time flies at Yungang, and before you know it, it'll be closing time. On Day 2, visit the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda and Hanging Temple in the south. These two locations and Datong form a triangle shape, each over an hour's drive away. Even without queuing, a day trip will be quite rushed. No need to elaborate on the major attractions, but remember not to miss the nearby Jingtu Temple and Yong'an Temple. One boasts a celestial palace ceiling, and the other has stunning murals, both national treasures. Day 3 is for catching up on anything you missed. Since you've visited the most famous attractions in the first two days, the last day can be spent exploring museums. The Datong City Museum and the Mingtang are quite unique, and a morning should be enough to see them. Depending on your energy levels, you can spend the remaining half-day exploring other cultural attractions within the city. Three days in Datong is quite tight and intense, and you'll be exhausted afterward. But considering what you'll have seen, it's definitely worth it. Finally, I recommend renting a car or hiring a car service in Datong. Although it's a bit more expensive, it saves a lot of time, which is invaluable.

As the saying goes: "See Shanxi for relics above ground, and Datong for Northern Wei and Liao-Jin dynasties!" Among the many unearthed cultural relics, bronzes and ceramics are nothing new! Surprisingly, the ancients mastered glassblowing technology over a thousand years ago! That touch of "Northern Wei Blue" is the best evidence! You have to see it with your own eyes to know how stunning it is! - The Datong Museum holds a significant position! Among its 170,000 artifacts, over 3,000 are considered precious! Its richness rivals that of the Shanxi Museum! As a first-class museum, it opens a time tunnel to Datong's 1,000-year history. - 🔺Overall Evaluation: ✔️The regular exhibition halls are divided into four themes: The Vicissitudes of the Land, Pingcheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Xijing of the Liao and Jin Dynasties, and Datong in the Ming and Qing Dynasties! But the second floor is the highlight! The dinosaur fossils on the first floor should be very suitable for children! It creates an immersive scene.🎬 ✔️Exhibitions are divided by era: The first floor covers ancient times to the Two Han Dynasties, the second floor focuses on the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the third floor covers the Liao, Jin, Ming, and Qing Dynasties! A complete timeline without backtracking. ✔️There are guided tours every day! Audio guides are ¥20! Free docent-led tours are available at 9:30/10:00/14:30/15:00! They cover about 90% of the collection. ✔️The museum occasionally holds parent-child activities! I encountered a DIY activity that day. - 🔺Temporary Exhibition Hall: The new theme is "Civilization's Zenith - The Life and Times of Empress Dowager Wenming of the Northern Wei Dynasty"! This exhibition runs until March 10, 2025! Through four sections: "Former Home of the Northern Yan," "Migration from Qin and Yong," "Years in Pingcheng," and "An Empress for the Ages," it takes you into the life of the "First Lady of the Northern Wei Dynasty"! There's a beautiful "golden buyao (hair ornament)." - 🔺Museum Treasures: 🍃Lacquer Screen from the Tomb of Sima Jinlong: One of the relics prohibited from leaving the country! Buried for thousands of years, the colors are still vibrant! Although it's a replica, it's displayed three-dimensionally on both sides! Half of the original is also housed in the museum! The original is rarely exhibited. 🍃Sima Jinlong's Honor Guard: The honor guard consists of 238 figurines with vivid expressions and magnificent momentum, showcasing the royal atmosphere! Such a large-scale formation is extremely rare. 🍃Small Blue Glass Bottle: Created by the Yuezhi people, the Northern Wei blue shimmers with rainbow hues in its coolness. 🍃Painted Pottery Acrobatics Figurines: Nine painted pottery figures form an acrobatic troupe, each with a different pose. One of them looks up and claps, exquisitely charming. 🍃Glazed Chiwen from Huayan Temple / Glazed Beast from Huiquan Temple: The glazed chiwen is 2.85 meters high, with a dragon's head and a fish's tail, covered in scales, a typical feature of Liao Dynasty architecture! The Jin Dynasty glazed beast is about 90 centimeters high and is commonly known as "Wangtianniu (Sky-Gazing Beast)." - 📍Address: No. 506 Taihe Road, Pingcheng District, Datong City, Shanxi Province 🚘Transportation: Taxi is recommended, or take bus No. 38 and get off at the "Museum" stop. 🎫Tickets: Free 📱Reservation: Book 7 days in advance via the "Datong Museum" official account. ⏱️Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30), closed on Mondays

🚗🚗🚗Travel Route Day 1: Jinshan Mountain Foot of the Great Wall Day 2: Jinshanling Great Wall → Gubei Water Town Day 3: Yungang Grottoes → Jinhua Palace Mine Downstream Scenic Area → Datong City Museum → Datong Ancient City → Orange Hotel (Datong Ancient City Branch) Day 4: Datong Loess Plateau → Hanging Temple → Yingxian Wooden Pagoda Day 5: Taiyuan → Ninghua Fu Yiyuan Qingcu Acetic Acid Headquarters → Jinci Temple Scenic Area → Shanxi Museum → Qiao Family Courtyard Day 6: Pingyao Ancient City → Baoding City 🚄Must-see attractions: Jinshanling Great Wall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Yungang Grottoes: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Yingxian Wooden Pagoda: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Pingyao Ancient City: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Qiao Family Courtyard: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Hanging Temple: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (advance reservation of tickets required) ⚠️Notes: When traveling from Shenyang to Shanxi, vehicles with non-local license plates passing through the Beijing area should pay attention to the no-entry zones!

Here is a travel guide to Datong Museum based on your request: 1. Basic Information • Address: Datong Museum is located at No. 506 Taihe Road, Pingcheng District, Datong City. • Tickets: Free to the public, but reservations are required in advance. • Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00–17:00 (last entry at 16:00), closed on Mondays (except for national holidays). 2. Reservation • Individual reservation: Visitors can make a real-name reservation in advance through the "Datong Museum Official WeChat Account" and save the reservation voucher. • Manual green channel: Seniors (65 years old and above), people with disabilities, active military personnel, and other people who are entitled to the "green channel" policy as stipulated by the state do not need to make a reservation and can enter the museum with a valid ID. 3. Transportation • Bus routes: Take bus No. 38, 64, or 70 to Datong University East Station, walk 300 meters east along the road, or take bus No. 65 to the museum. 4. Visitor Information • Security check and registration: On the day of the visit, visitors must present their original ID card and reservation voucher, and undergo a security check and registration. Visitors can enter the museum only if they meet all the requirements. • Personal protection: Visitors must wear a mask at all times and take personal protection measures. • Museum rules: No food or drink is allowed in the exhibition halls. Please eat in designated areas. No smoking or littering is allowed in the museum. Please keep the environment clean. No running, chasing, playing, climbing, or lying down is allowed in the museum. For exhibitions where photography is allowed, please do not use flash, selfie sticks, or tripods. 5. Featured Exhibitions • Exhibition content: Datong Museum has a collection of more than 170,000 cultural relics. The exhibition is based on the regional characteristics of Datong's history and culture, and features four historical exhibitions: "The Vicissitudes of Dai", "Pingcheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty", "Western Capital of the Liao and Jin Dynasties", and "Important Town of the Ming and Qing Dynasties", which comprehensively tell the story of Datong as the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the accompanying capital of the Liao and Jin Dynasties, and an important town of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. 6. Nearby Attractions • Datong Museum has nine branches, including the Liao, Jin, and Yuan Ethnic Integration Museum, Datong Red Memory Museum, Ancient Bronze Art Museum, Mingtang Ruins Museum, Northern Dynasties Museum, Kuixing Culture Museum, Pingcheng Memory Museum, and Liang Sicheng Memorial Hall, which can be visited together. We hope this guide will help you plan your visit to Datong Museum. Have a great trip!

Datong Museum is located at No. 506, Taihe Road, Pingcheng District, Datong City. It is a national first-class geographical comprehensive museum. The building was designed by Cui Kai and is in the shape of a double "S", resembling a soaring dragon, symbolizing the integration of the Hu and Han cultures. The first floor of the museum has the "Datong Dinosaurs" special exhibition and the "Changing Times" display area; the second floor is the "Wei Capital Pingcheng" display area; the third floor has the "Liao Jin Xijing" and "Ming and Qing Important Towns" display areas and the "Sanskrit Pure Sounds" special exhibition. The museum has a collection of more than 170,000 cultural relics, including more than 3,000 precious cultural relics. Among them, the fine cultural relics from the Northern Wei, Liao and Jin dynasties highlight the characteristics of the northern ethnic minority culture. There are many treasures in the museum, such as the lacquer-painted screen from Sima Jinlong's tomb, the stone-carved coffin bed, the pottery figurines, as well as glass bottles and the Huayan Temple gargoyles, which are of exquisite craftsmanship and great artistic and historical value. Through rich cultural relics and diverse exhibitions, the museum showcases Datong’s historical changes and cultural integration from prehistoric times to the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is a good place to learn about Datong.

Datong Museum’s “Wei Capital Pingcheng” Exhibition Hall (I) (II). Pingcheng (ancient Datong) was the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty established by the Tuoba Xianbei. In 398, Tuoba Gui moved the capital to Pingcheng and proclaimed himself emperor, ushering in the Pingcheng era of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The exhibition hall is full of highlights, and the best ones are the cultural relics from the tombs of Song Shaozu and Sima Jinlong. 2️⃣ Exotic gold and silver glassware, especially "Northern Wei Blue" glass bottles. 3️⃣The mottled and simple Northern Wei murals. The Northern Wei Dynasty brought together the civilizations of the north and south, integrated the essence of the east and the west, and created a miraculous splendor. Pingcheng 1,600 years ago is fascinating.

The Western Capital of the Liao and Jin Dynasties and Important Town of the Ming and Qing Dynasties exhibition halls of the Datong Museum showcase Datong's long history as an important city during the Liao and Jin Dynasties and the most important of the nine border towns during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as its role as an important stage for the second great ethnic integration in China.

The Dinosaur Hall is suitable for children; the Cang Sang Dai Di Hall introduces the ancient and Spring and Autumn Period Dai Di core area, which is today's Datong; the temporary exhibition "Cloud Terraces" displays the culture of the Honghe Hani Terraces; the temporary exhibition "All Trees Have Spirits" displays many African sculptures. Free admission, scan the code on site or make a reservation in advance on the official account. The museum is located at No. 506 Taihe Road, Pingcheng District. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00.

Free access to Datong Museum A place to visit for free all afternoon! Datong, a prefecture-level city, has a national first-class museum With a large collection More than 170,000 exquisite cultural relics from the Northern Wei, Liao, and Jin dynasties Very suitable for museum lovers and photo lovers - There are 4️⃣ exhibition halls in the permanent exhibition area of the museum: 🔸1st floor exhibition hall: The vicissitudes of the generation 🔸2nd floor exhibition hall: Northern Wei Pingcheng 🔸3rd floor exhibition hall: Liao and Jin Xijing/Ming and Qing towns ⚱️There are regular temporary exhibitions with different themes, and the level of curation is online - The treasure of the town hall 🔸Lacquer painting screen: This is one of the first batch of cultural relics prohibited from being exhibited abroad. The content of the screen painting is the story of the ancient sages of the Lie Nu, which is a masterpiece of Northern Wei lacquerware and painting. The color is still bright after thousands of years. 🔸Stone-carved coffin bed: It is in the shape of an inverted mountain character, with a frame decorated with twining honeysuckle patterns, and the images of the strong man and the musician carved on the bed feet are vivid and have the characteristics of Hu people. 🔸Stone-carved column base: Four giant dragons are connected end to end, majestic, and the children playing music at the four corners also have the characteristics of Hu people. 🔸Ceremonial Terracotta Warriors: The Terracotta Warriors unearthed from the tomb of Sima Jinlong include light cavalry, heavy cavalry, infantry, etc. Although they are small in size, they are extraordinary. 🔸Northern Wei blue glass bottle: It is a rare and precious glass product, an outstanding work of cultural exchange between the East and the West, and it is more radiant under the light. - ❤️【Tour Tips】 🔸There are 4 floors in the whole museum, and the tour time is about 2 hours. It is not tiring to visit with children 🔸There are 🆓 stamps, distributed in 3 places. There are 5 pieces in total in the cultural and creative shed at the entrance of the temporary exhibition hall on the first floor; there are 7 pieces in the cultural and creative store at the exit on the first floor; there are 2 pieces at the entrance of the Tongbo Tea House on the second floor Datong Museum 🎫｜Tickets: Free and no reservation required, you can scan the code to enter the museum with your ID card, or you can register at the door and scan the code to enter the museum 🕐｜Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 9:00-17:00, no admission after 16:30, closed on Monday 🅿️｜Parking: You can park in the underground parking lot when you drive there, and it is free all day

If you're visiting Datong for the first time, the museum is a must-see! ✅Tour route: 1F: Visit the Datong Dinosaur Museum first, where you can see dinosaur fossils from hundreds of millions of years ago and learn about the ancient biological conditions of the Datong area. The Vicissitudes of the Earth Hall next door introduces the development of Datong from prehistoric times to the Qin and Han dynasties, from barbarism to civilization. 2F: The core exhibition, the Wei Capital Pingcheng Hall, is not to be missed. It systematically displays the glorious history of Datong as the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The Sima Jinlong Tomb, lacquered screen, stone coffin bed, wooden tombs, Northern Wei glass bottle, and warrior statue are all treasures of the museum and should be carefully appreciated. 3F: The Liao and Jin Western Capital Hall is the second peak of Datong's history, with precious artifacts such as the glazed chiwen of Huayan Temple and the gold ornaments of Qu State Temple. The Ming and Qing Frontier Town Hall tells the story of Datong's last glory as an important frontier town in ancient times. ➡️Free guided tours: There are free guided tours at scheduled times every day, usually meeting in the lobby on the first floor. Please ask museum staff for specific times. Tips: We recommend allowing at least 3 hours to fully appreciate the museum's rich collection and cultural connotations.

It is said that understanding a city starts with its museums. Visiting the Datong Museum really gave me the most personal experience. The permanent exhibitions of Datong Museum are divided into four categories: 1. A Place of Change; 2. Pingcheng of Northern Wei; 3. Xijing of Liao and Jin; 4. Important Cities of Ming and Qing Dynasties. After seeing the number and types of cultural relics, you will instantly understand the most glorious time points in Datong’s history - one is Pingcheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty; the other is Xijing of the Liao and Jin Dynasties. 🌟1. "The vicissitudes of life" mainly talks about the period from geological changes to the Qin and Han dynasties. There aren't many artifacts from this period. After all, during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, this place was still the Northern Di mentioned in history books. There were records of the Dai Kingdom established by the "Bai Di" during the Spring and Autumn Period. It was not until the State of Zhao adopted the Hu clothing and horse riding, expanded its territory, and established the Dai County that it was incorporated into the Central Plains. This is in stark contrast to the rich cultural relics and records from the Western Zhou Dynasty in southern Shanxi. There is also a treasure, which is a Han Dynasty ceramic branch lamp, consisting of four parts: base, pillar, plate and lamp. The lamp base is a round plate type, and the lamp post is a round bamboo joint, which gradually becomes thinner from bottom to top. The upper part of the lamp post is surrounded by lamp branches and dragon head top lights. There is also a leaf-shaped decoration in the center of the lamp post, which is very interesting. 🌟2. Pingcheng of Northern Wei Most of the cultural relics in Datong Museum are from the Northern Wei Dynasty, which is also a glorious period in Datong’s history. It served as the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty for nearly a hundred years and developed into a large city with a population of over one million. Moreover, through the Eurasian steppes on the northern line of the Silk Road, there was a lot of communication with Central Asia and West Asia, and the unearthed cultural relics are full of a mixture of Central Plains civilization and exotic customs. This can be seen from the layout of the museum's hall. A painting called "Travel of Nobles of the Northern Wei Dynasty" was created with reference to the scenes of nobles traveling and banquets in the Northern Wei mural tombs in Shaling Village, Datong. The main cultural relics come from two tombs: one is the tomb of Sima Jinlong; the other is the tomb of Song Shaozu. One of them was a noble of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the King of Langya of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the other was the Governor of Youzhou and the Duke of Dunhuang. The most shocking of their unearthed cultural relics is the magnificent terracotta army formation, which shows the military style of the Northern Wei Dynasty when heavy cavalry swept across the north. ✅The most well-deserved treasure of Datong Museum is the lacquer screen in Figure ③, which was unearthed from Sima Jinlong's tomb. It is one of the first 64 cultural relics in the country that are prohibited from being exhibited abroad, which shows how precious it is! What are usually exhibited are replicas, and the originals are reluctant to be taken out. ✅Looking at the cultural relics of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the biggest style is the so-called "Hu Feng". During the Northern Wei Dynasty, there was a northern route from Datong through the Eurasian steppe to Central Asia. The figurines of Hu acrobats, camel figurines, etc. all tell of the Northern Wei Dynasty's inclusive cultural style. 🌟3. Liaojin Xijing Datong was the secondary capital during the Liao and Jin dynasties, and it has a wealth of cultural relics from this period. There are so many Liao and Jin wooden buildings preserved here, so the most eye-catching thing in the exhibition is the accessories of these buildings: the first is the glazed gargoyles on the top of the Bhagavad Gāthāna Hall of Huayan Temple (Figure 2), which is 3 meters high. There is a bigger one on the main hall of Huayan Temple, which is 4.5 meters high. In comparison, the one on the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City is only more than 3 meters high. There is also a pair of glazed lions from the Jin Dynasty, which were previously on the roof of Huiquan Temple. The shape is absolutely beautiful. (The cultural and creative store has their cultural and creative refrigerator magnets, which are very nice. You can buy one if you like them). In the exhibition hall, there are models of Datong’s main wooden buildings from the Liao and Jin dynasties. If you have seen these models and understood their structure and overall appearance, you will have a deeper understanding when you visit the site. Generally speaking, ceramics in places where glass is good will not be bad! During the Liao and Jin Dynasties, Chinese porcelain entered a peak period with free craftsmanship and unparalleled artistic aesthetics. Porcelain making in the north was also very exciting. Several Liao Dynasty white-glazed pots on site were extremely exquisite, and there were also many beautiful Ru kiln, Jun kiln, and Longquan kiln products. ✅This time I learned a little-known fact: cremation was popular during the Liao and Jin dynasties! This is very different from the traditional idea of ​​"resting in peace"! After cremation in the Liao Dynasty, the ashes were placed in a huge soul jar, and then placed in a tomb chamber surrounded by murals. The tomb style of the Liao Dynasty was round, a bit like a yurt. 🌟4. Sanskrit voiceless The Datong Museum has a special exhibition called "Sanskrit Pure Sounds", which displays Buddhist statues, Taoist statues and other religious statues collected from various eras. In fact, the biggest feeling I got from traveling around Shanxi is that almost all the preserved cultural relics are related to religion. Only with awe in your heart can you protect many cultural relics from the bottom of your heart. Many "water and land paintings" that combine Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism are symbols of the integration of various religions over thousands of years of history. You can say that it is a pragmatism of worshipping gods when you see them, but it should be more of a cultural confidence and connotation that embraces all rivers and seas.

|Stunning historical exhibition. "Underground relics in Shaanxi, above-ground relics in Shanxi." Many people are familiar with the Hanging Temple, Yungang Grottoes, and Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. In addition to these famous ancient buildings, Datong also has a good place to watch cultural relics and treasures, which is the Datong Museum. "Words are endless, and it's better to see it." The cultural relics exhibited in the Datong Museum are mainly based on the regional characteristics of Datong's history and culture, and focus on reflecting the development process of ethnic integration in this region. Here, there are both "Sinicized Hu culture" and "Huized Han culture". It is a typical cultural area where "Hu and Han cultures blend" in ancient times. A large number of unearthed cultural relics and even existing ones have profound reflections. The treasures of the town hall include lacquer screen, stone coffin bed, stone pillar base, pottery figurines, glassware and Huayan Temple owl. It's worth a visit. Ticket: Free Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (closed on Monday) There are lockers in the lobby on the first floor of the museum, but the number is limited.

First stop in Datong is the Datong Museum. You can take bus No. 70 or 66 to get there. You can make a reservation online or scan the QR code at the entrance to make a reservation. There are two free guided tours at 9:30 and 10:00 in the morning, and there are also guided tours in the afternoon (I forgot the time). The exhibits are on the second floor, and there are three treasures of the museum. The first one: Northern Wei Sima Jinlong Tomb Lacquer Painting: This is a lacquerware treasure from the Wei and Jin Dynasties and a masterpiece in the painting history of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It is one of the first 64 national treasures in China that are prohibited from being exhibited abroad. It displays stories of ancient virtuous women and other characters. Due to the fragility of the original, the replica is on display, while the original is partially preserved in the Shanxi Provincial Museum and partially preserved in the basement of the Datong Museum. The second one: Sima Jinlong Stone Carved Bed: This is a stone carving art treasure from the Pingcheng period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It is 241 cm long, 133 cm wide, and 51 cm high, and is made of fine sandstone. The upper part of the bed is carved with dancing and musical instrument-playing children, mythical beasts, etc. among the honeysuckle branches, the lower frame is decorated with water wave patterns, and the bed feet are carved with four muscular men holding up with both hands, showing the stone carving art style of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The third one: Glass Ridge Beast: This is a decoration on the main ridge of the Huayan Temple's Bahujingzang Hall during the Liao Dynasty. It is 3 meters high and is the most shocking work in the exhibition hall, showing the exquisite skills of ancient Chinese architectural decoration art. In addition, the Northern Wei blue glass bottle, Sima Jinlong pottery figurine battle team, Northern Wei Buddha statue, etc. are all worth seeing.

📍 Location: The Datong Museum is located at No. 506, Taihe Road, Pingcheng District, Datong City. It is a national first-class museum with a rich collection, showing the profound historical and cultural heritage of Datong as the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the accompanying capital of the Liao and Jin Dynasties, and the important town of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. 🏛️ Attraction introduction: The vicissitudes of the land: the prelude to the civilization of Datong's history, showing the vicissitudes of the "Datong Lake" and the "Sanggan River". Northern Wei Pingcheng: Through the ruins of Pingcheng Mingtang and Fangshan Yongguling, the footprints of the Xianbei people's feudalization are recorded. Liao Jin Xijing: The Khitan, Jurchen, Mongolian and other ethnic groups have successively operated, forming a unique Xijing style. Ming and Qing important towns: Witness the rise of Jin merchants who are rich in the world and connected to the world. 🎟️ Tickets: Free 🚌 Transportation: Departing from Datong Ancient City, you can take the No. 38 bus to Taihe Road Yunshan Street Intersection Station (Museum Station). Departing from Datong Railway Station, you can take the No. 70 bus to Taihe Road Yunshan Street Intersection Station (Museum Station). Departing from Xinnan Bus Station, you can take the No. 63 bus to Taihe Road Yunshan Street Intersection Station (Museum Station). ⏰ Opening hours: October 08-next year June 17: Open from Tuesday to Sunday 09:00-17:00, closed all day on Monday. June 18-October 07: Open from Monday to Sunday 08:00-20:00. 🎢 Must-play projects: Interactive area: The interactive area on the first floor is equipped with a 5D cinema and cultural and entertainment projects, allowing tourists to experience an immersive historical and cultural journey. Dinosaur Exhibition Hall: Through the simulation of the dinosaur living environment and the exhibition of various dinosaur fossils, let tourists touch the history of the Mesozoic. On the day of the visit, present the original ID card, appointment voucher, and accept security check and registration. Closed on Monday, except for holidays, please arrange your itinerary to avoid closing days. 📸 Photo check-in: There are many precious cultural relics and artworks in the museum, which is a good place for photo check-in, but please observe the museum's photo regulations and do not use flash. 🌟 Special recommendation: If you are interested in the culture of the Northern Wei Dynasty, don't miss the display of the tomb figurines of Sima Jinlong, which directly reflect the cultural exchanges, exchanges, and integration at that time.

Datong Museum truly gave me a great surprise. I didn't expect a city-level museum to house so many treasures. Moreover, I think Datong Museum has done an excellent job in the distribution and arrangement of exhibits, the use of lighting, and the visual impact. From the very beginning, I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. The guidance for the flow of visitors in the exhibition hall is very clear. There is also an exhibition area upstairs called 'African Impressions,' which features masks, sculptures from local tribes, practical tools, prayer tools, and so on. Some of them look quite scary, while others look quite funny. I still recommend that everyone book a professional guide to learn many stories behind the treasures.

Family, today I went to Datong Museum, and it was truly eye-opening😲! As soon as I entered, I was captivated by those gigantic dinosaur fossils🤩! And those ancient bronzes, pottery, calligraphy, and paintings, each one left me in awe🥰! Overall, Datong Museum is definitely worth a visit👍! If you are interested in history and culture, you must check it out😘!

The Datong Museum was founded in 1958, originally known as the Datong City Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall. It is a national first-class museum and was designed by the famous Chinese architect Mr. Cui Kai. The first floor features the 'Datong Dinosaurs' special exhibition area, the 'Vicissitudes of the Land' exhibition area, and a temporary exhibition area. The second floor houses the 'Capital of Wei, Pingcheng' exhibition area. The third floor includes the 'Western Capital of Liao and Jin' and 'Important Towns of Ming and Qing' exhibition areas, as well as the 'Brahma's Pure Sound' special exhibition area. There are free guided tours at 2:30 PM and 3 PM, each lasting about an hour. Gather at the explanation area in the lobby. Follow the museum rules: do not touch the artifacts, do not climb randomly, and do not make loud noises. Some exhibition halls may have dim lighting, so watch your step. Pay attention to signs and indicators to understand the locations of each exhibition hall and the exits.

Every time I travel to a place, the local museum is a must-visit. But every time, with the crowds of tourists and the dim lighting, it’s somewhat difficult to take good exhibition photos. This time, while visiting the Datong Museum, I summarized four museum portrait formulas. Depending on the scene, you can still take some great photos of people~ . 1️⃣ Use a telephoto lens to capture the interaction of a person standing in front of a giant exhibit. You can use the lighting on the exhibit to illuminate the person. 2️⃣ Have the person look at the exhibit in front of them, creating a silhouette effect with the person blurred in the foreground. It can be yourself or a passerby, adding more atmosphere than just the exhibit alone. 3️⃣ Take portraits through artifacts, using the artifact as the foreground to capture the person looking at the artifact. A different angle gives a different feeling. 4️⃣ Find a relatively low artifact display platform and take a side shot of the person looking down at the artifact. 5️⃣ Besides people, capturing staggered artifacts also creates a sense of depth. These are the general ideas for museum portrait photography~