Datong sits on the dry, windy plateau of northern Shanxi, close to the Mongolian border and far from the polished tourist circuits of eastern China. For centuries it was a frontier garrison town, and the landscape still has that stark, edge-of-empire feel.
The reason to come here is the Yungang Grottoes, a complex of 53 cave temples carved into a sandstone cliff in the 5th century. The sheer scale of the carvings — some Buddha figures stand over 15 metres tall — makes this one of China's most impressive ancient sites. The old walled city centre has been extensively restored, with the Nine Dragon Screen and the Huayan Temple and Shanhua Temple worth a visit. Beyond town, the Hanging Monastery at Hengshan clings improbably to a cliff face and can be combined with a day trip to the sacred peak itself.