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Photo: Charlie fong, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This impressive pagoda is the oldest and tallest wooden structure in China, built in 1056 in the Liao Dynasty without any nails. It is located within a Buddhist temple, some of which was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. There is an active temple in the back built in 2001. Only the ground floor of the pagoda is open to visitors. Inside the pagoda, you can see a big Buddha statue.
The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple of Ying County, Shanxi province, China, is a wooden Chinese pagoda. It is also known as the Wooden Pagoda of Ying County. It was constructed in 1056, during the second year of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty and was renovated and expanded in 1195 during the sixth year of the Jin dynasty. The pagoda was built by Emperor Daozong of Liao (Hongji) at the site of his grandmother's family home. The pagoda, which has survived several large earthquakes throughout the centuries, reached a level of such fame within China that it was given the generic nickname of the "Muta".
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悬空寺 Xuánkōngsì
Lodged precariously on a cliff-face, this monastery is one of the more remarkable sights in China: a complex of 40 rooms linked by mid-air walkways. It appears to be stuck into the side of the cliff, but is actually supported by stilts. It was built in 490 and renovated several times, including in 1900; much of the current structure dates from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Visiting is not recommended on rainy or snowy days due to the slippery ladders. The ticket checkers are supposed to only let 80 people in at a time but the monastery can be crowded as not everyone follows the same flow around. Stick to the walls!
恒山 Héng Shān
World Heritage Tentative list (UNESCO). This is the least religiously important of the 5 Sacred Mountains of Taoism.
大同土林, Devil City
Wind-eroded loess pillars and walls create a surreal landscape. Presents a beautiful scene at sunset.
儿童公园
A large park with many family attractions.
Part of the Datong Museum. Wei stele calligraphy is a style of calligraphy found on stone tablets in northern China during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, and in modern times calligraphers such as Zhang Aitang inherited and developed this style. The museum showcases Zhang Aitang's life and his calligraphy.
善化寺 Shànhùa Sì
Built in the Tang Dynasty, rebuilt in the Liao Dynasty, and then largely destroyed by war, the monastery was rebuilt in the Jin Dynasty under the supervision of the great Southern Song scholar Zhu Bian. The temple has four high-value ancient buildings: one from the Liao Dynasty and three from the Jin Dynasty. The mountain gate (Hall of Heavenly Kings), the Hall of Three Saints, and the Puxian Pavilion are Jin Dynasty buildings, while the Mahavira Hall is a Liao Dynasty building, one of the "Eight Great Liao Structures."