Datong & Pingyao

travel time: October 2024

With an early morning train, we set off for the surrounding area of Datong, where our driver Master Kong was already waiting to greet us. We had arranged a tour for the day to make sure we covered all the must-see spots in the area.

Hanging Monastery

Our first stop was the famous Hanging Monastery. Upon arrival at the Visitor Center, we were directed to hop on a shuttle bus to get anywhere near the site. After navigating through the foreigner’s ticket counter, we were handed our tickets and were ready to go! However, it seemed that half of China had the same brilliant idea—standing in line for about an hour was part of the deal. The narrow, single-file path through the monastery made it feel like an adventure in patience! While the view from the top was impressive, we both agreed that the best view was actually from the bottom, where you can really take in the sheer impossibility of the monastery’s construction.

Wooden Pagoda

Next, we visited the Sakyamuni Pagoda at Fogong Temple, also known as the Yingxian Pagoda - the oldest wooden pagoda still standing in China. It's quite a sight to behold, especially knowing that it was built without a single nail! Inside, there's a massive Buddha statue, which is equally impressive. We couldn’t help but marvel at how this pagoda has stood the test of time, a true wooden wonder.

Yungang Grottoes

We didn’t set our expectations too high for the Yungang Grottoes - perhaps the pictures we saw online didn’t do them justice. But wow, were we wrong! This place completely blew us away. The intricate stone carvings and statues of all shapes and sizes were simply mesmerizing. As we arrived near closing time, we got lucky—the usual tourist crowds had thinned, giving us plenty of space and time to take in the awe-inspiring beauty of these ancient carvings.

To wrap up our day, our driver took us to a local restaurant where he happened to be friends with the owner. Now, this usually sounds like the start of a tourist trap, but not this time! The food was fantastic, and the head chef and servers were equally delighted to meet us—they even mentioned we were the first European tourists to ever visit their restaurant! After dinner, they kindly asked us to pose for some promotional photos with the chef and the owner. For a brief moment, we got a taste of what it must feel like to be celebrities. Alex was so taken with one dish that the chef kindly shared the recipe with us. Let’s see if we can recreate that taste when we try it at home! 😉

Our entire trip was arranged through wildgreatwall.com, and it was fantastic. Despite what the name might suggest, they don’t just organize Great Wall tours - they offer a variety of driving services all across China. Although our driver, Master Kong, didn’t speak English, communication was a breeze thanks to translation apps. He went above and beyond to ensure we had an incredible experience. If you're looking for experienced drivers and smooth organization, we highly recommend booking with them. Great thanks Ricky and Master Kong!

Pingyao old town

After our train ride to Pingyao, we caught a taxi that dropped us off at the nearest gate to our hotel inside the old town. Vehicles are limited within the city walls, so we decided to walk to the hotel and soak in the charm of the ancient streets. Pingyao is a beautifully preserved old town, surrounded by city walls that you can actually walk on. We spent the day wandering through its narrow streets, exploring historic sites like the Rishengchang Exchange House and various temples. It felt like stepping back in time! In the late afternoon, after quite a bit of searching, we finally discovered that the South Gate is the spot where you can access the city walls for a walk. We strolled for about two kilometers before exiting at the West Gate. While you do get a bird's-eye view of the old town from up there, to be honest, the view is mostly just a sea of grey rooftops.