Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, formally the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple, is one of the great timber buildings of East Asia. UNESCO's tentative-list description notes that it was built in 1056 and identifies it as the world's oldest and tallest surviving multi-storey wooden structure, rising more than 67 metres in Ying County south of Datong.
The pagoda is astonishing because it is both monumental and intricate: a nine-storey-looking tower held together by layered wooden brackets and joinery rather than a modern structural frame. It is far enough from Datong to require a planned excursion, but for anyone interested in architecture, Buddhism, or Chinese engineering, it easily clears the threshold for a major day trip.