Andrew Aigner-MuehlerChapter 19 - My weekend away in Datong
May 5th 2009 03:31
Another long weekend in China, meaning an extra long weekend for myself, which meant a weekend away to Datong.
Well, what do I say about this city?
After reading my travel book ‘Rough Guides’ I was actually in two minds about Datong. I was still going to go, as I wanted to see the Hanging Temples, Yungang Caves and the Wood Pagoda. Rough Guides book mentioned a couple things that were putting doubt into my head, but gee am I glad I only read things for tips, and I do not read into things much. All I will say is that Datong is a city that you must really visit, out of all the places that I have visited in China, this is so far my favourite, by far. Yeah! When you arrive into Datong by train and then you venture straight out on long distance bus to the scenic attractions just out of Datong, the out skirts isn’t that attractive, but you know Datong is a heavy industrial city, of which the biggest employer is the coal mine which you will go past on the way to Yungang caves, but when you venture down town and go for a walk around town, the city is very active, with a lot of hustle and bustle. The main corridor which goes north/ south is just lined with shops, and jam packed with cars, buses, scooters and pedestrians. Even the streets around the main corridor are jam packed, for example I caught the number four bus from the Xincaili bus station to the train station which is around 9 or 10 kilometres by bus, it took just over 50 minutes to travel that short distance. It was very slow going. The number four bus is not a big route but it is one of the main buses used. At anytime, on this bus from the time it leaves one terminus, it is already over full, it stays that way until it reaches the other terminus. At one point of the journey the bus driver did not shut the doors, and there was a male passenger hanging out of the door. If anything, this would be the most negative thing I would say about Datong, the public transport is very bad. The buses are quite old and quite slow and really over packed. All public buses in Datong are the same.
This weekend was actually May Day weekend, as you know when you turn into a tourist on a national holiday in China, you will be fighting the queues of scenic attractions and public transport all over China. It is very hard to get a seat on a train. I actually organized this trip a few weeks in advance, and then organized for Sanlitun hostel in Beijing to book my return travel on the train to Datong, as I could not book in Chengde. Thankfully I did. The train was packed like usual, with many passengers standing the whole way. I had booked a hard sleeper to Datong from Beijing West for 108 rmb leaving at 20:19pm and arriving into Datong at 02:20am, but this day the train was delayed by 35 minutes so it got into Datong 35 minutes late. Coming back I had booked a hard seat which cost 54rmb leaving at 12:22pm and arriving Beijing West at 18:55pm. All trains to and from Datong and Beijing were totally over full this weekend.
When I arrived into Datong at just 3am Saturday morning the railway station square was totally empty. I could not do anything. I tried to book early into a hotel, but they were full, so I had a couple hour nap in the railway station waiting hall. At 5am, I went for a bit of a walk around the station, to see if there were any long distance buses leaving early. I was in luck. The bus going to Hanging temples left the railway station at 5:35am. The bus cost 25rmb. On the way to the Hanging Temples it first called into the long distance bus station to pick up extra passengers, and then made its way. As Rough Guides did mention in the book, the buses will show in writing that they go to the Hanging Temples, and the drivers will also say they do. First tip, they do not. At 07:04am the bus stopped in the middle of know where, dropped me off with a tourist from Korea where we jumped into a waiting car that took us to the Temples.
Once at the temples, there is not anything there but the Temples. It cost me 30rmb to get in, though it usually cost 60rmb. It was cheaper due to the national holiday. I say plan around 30 to 45 minutes to view the Temples. You can only go one way, you can back track through the Temple, when you visit you there you will know why. I am only quite small and thinly built, and I struggled to walk up and down some stairs and walk through a cave. There is a lot of bending and twisting your body to access parts of the Hanging Temples, but I tell you, it is one place I am so glad I had visited, it is amazing. I don’t know why it is still hanging there; they must have built it really well back in the days.
When you leave Hanging Temples, you need to barter a taxi, apparently you can get them down to a cheaper fare, and the drivers will start at 20rmb. I just paid 20rmb. The taxi will take you to the long distance bus station where you will pay 20rmb for the journey back to Datong. The bus will take longer coming back; it took me 2 hours to get back by bus, but just over an hour to get there. Again, another warning, like all other places in China, the long distance buses will drop you off anywhere in town, where you do not know where you are. Thankfully, after asking the driver if he could drop me back of at the long distance bus station, he dropped me off. Do not be afraid to ask.
From there I jumped into a taxi which took me to the Yungang Caves for 40rmb, which is a long way out of town. Once at the Yungang Caves, you will be dropped off at the end of the street, then you have to walk around 150 metres past souvenir and food stalls to come to the ticket booth. Entrance fee for this weekend was 30rmb, but again it usually cost 60rmb. You are best to plan at least 3 hours for the caves, the caves cover a fair bit of territory and there is so much to see, there is so much detail in the caves. You can probably actually stay longer. I did not realize the Yungang Caves were this big. I was amazed by all of the carved statues of Buddha’s. The caves on the left hand side, going from 7 to 20 are the most spectacular, though they go to 45. On the right hand side, you can see caves 6 to 1, which are also quite impressive. A bit of a warning, security does get a bit upset if you take photos in caves 6 and 7, though people still do, you just have to be discreet like I did. But again the caves in Yungang are a place to visit. On the way back I jumped on the number three bus which cost 1.5rmb which terminated at the Xinkaili bus terminal, it takes around 25 minutes, and the bus is full all the way.
This weekend, I also wanted to visit the Wood Pagoda but due to the hostel booking an early train ticket, I could not take the risk to go to Wood Pagoda and then get caught up in traffic, and miss my train, especially when all the trains were full. It takes around 2 hours by long distance bus to get there. I will just go back there another weekend.
Down the main corridor in Datong you can view the Drum Tower, which you can not go inside, but it over shadows everything else near it. Just east of the Drum Tower is the Nine Dragon Screen, which I could not see. I made two walks down there to see it. I walked around the block, I walked amongst the block or building. I stood down that street, and stared at the building trying to see what and where it is. Apparently, it is no more than 100 metres down the street from the Drum Tower. I could not see it, so if you ever visit Datong, and you can see it or you know what it looks like, could you please send me an email with a photo so it would put me out of my misery.
The people of Datong to me are quite friendly and helpful, if you ask someone whether it is a police officer or someone working in a hotel or bus driver or who ever, they will try to help you. They may not know English, or with a little English and with your little Chinese, you will receive some little information, which will be helpful. I had lunch on the Saturday, one street south after the Drum Tower on the left hand side at the little local restaurant which had no customers, though the single hot pot was delicious and very tasty and the couple which owned it were so lovely (Please see photo for restaurant). They knew no English but with my little Chinese, we were able to communicate for an hour, and they gave me the meal for free. While for dinner, I had dinner on Xinjian Bei Lu which is the street that is straight ahead when you walk out of the station when you first arrive, when you walk down that street, cross over Xima Lu, and you will see a lot of out door food places. At one of these places I had another hot pot. (Please see photo for restaurant).
Rough guides also mentioned in the book that the CITS at the railway station is a place that you should make your first visit. It is not where the book says, it is actually in the arrival hall on the right hand side just before you exit. Just a warning, they are quite hard to get hold off, I could not book anything through them as they were closed for most of the time, when I did catch them, and I had already been to the Temple and Caves, though I was able to get advice from them about the Pagoda. The two gentlemen in there are very nice guys, and they speak English perfectly.
The place to stay at in Datong is the hotel on the left hand side of the arrival hall, once you arrival, exit the doors, turn left and it is around a 10 metre walk. They do not understand English, but with your little Chinese, you will check in okay. It coast 128rmb for a night with 100rmb deposit and you get a very nice room ( see photograph) with two single beds, cable TV, air conditioner, telephone, chairs, shower, and toilet. The staff will show you to your room, and then will go through everything with you, to show you how things work. I have not seen this for a long time. With this hotel, I think they save the nice rooms for the foreigners and the crappy rooms which you will walk past on the way to your room for the Chinese nationals.
If you need to develop your digital photos walk down Xinjian Bei Lu from railway station turn left on to Xima LU, walk 100 metres, past a bank on the left hand side and two shops after, you will come across a Kodak shop. Three nice ladies work in the store; I think they are all family. They do not give same day service, but if you make known to them, you can not pick up the next day, and they will develop your photos in 2 to 3 hours cost 0.60rmb a photo.
Just to finish off Datong is a place to go, I think you too will have the same enjoyable experience, and I have no problems in returning there the second time to see the Wood Pagoda.
Well, what do I say about this city?
After reading my travel book ‘Rough Guides’ I was actually in two minds about Datong. I was still going to go, as I wanted to see the Hanging Temples, Yungang Caves and the Wood Pagoda. Rough Guides book mentioned a couple things that were putting doubt into my head, but gee am I glad I only read things for tips, and I do not read into things much. All I will say is that Datong is a city that you must really visit, out of all the places that I have visited in China, this is so far my favourite, by far. Yeah! When you arrive into Datong by train and then you venture straight out on long distance bus to the scenic attractions just out of Datong, the out skirts isn’t that attractive, but you know Datong is a heavy industrial city, of which the biggest employer is the coal mine which you will go past on the way to Yungang caves, but when you venture down town and go for a walk around town, the city is very active, with a lot of hustle and bustle. The main corridor which goes north/ south is just lined with shops, and jam packed with cars, buses, scooters and pedestrians. Even the streets around the main corridor are jam packed, for example I caught the number four bus from the Xincaili bus station to the train station which is around 9 or 10 kilometres by bus, it took just over 50 minutes to travel that short distance. It was very slow going. The number four bus is not a big route but it is one of the main buses used. At anytime, on this bus from the time it leaves one terminus, it is already over full, it stays that way until it reaches the other terminus. At one point of the journey the bus driver did not shut the doors, and there was a male passenger hanging out of the door. If anything, this would be the most negative thing I would say about Datong, the public transport is very bad. The buses are quite old and quite slow and really over packed. All public buses in Datong are the same.
Hanging Temples- Shanxi Province
This weekend was actually May Day weekend, as you know when you turn into a tourist on a national holiday in China, you will be fighting the queues of scenic attractions and public transport all over China. It is very hard to get a seat on a train. I actually organized this trip a few weeks in advance, and then organized for Sanlitun hostel in Beijing to book my return travel on the train to Datong, as I could not book in Chengde. Thankfully I did. The train was packed like usual, with many passengers standing the whole way. I had booked a hard sleeper to Datong from Beijing West for 108 rmb leaving at 20:19pm and arriving into Datong at 02:20am, but this day the train was delayed by 35 minutes so it got into Datong 35 minutes late. Coming back I had booked a hard seat which cost 54rmb leaving at 12:22pm and arriving Beijing West at 18:55pm. All trains to and from Datong and Beijing were totally over full this weekend.
Yungang Caves - Shanxi Province
Yungang Caves - Shanxi Province
When I arrived into Datong at just 3am Saturday morning the railway station square was totally empty. I could not do anything. I tried to book early into a hotel, but they were full, so I had a couple hour nap in the railway station waiting hall. At 5am, I went for a bit of a walk around the station, to see if there were any long distance buses leaving early. I was in luck. The bus going to Hanging temples left the railway station at 5:35am. The bus cost 25rmb. On the way to the Hanging Temples it first called into the long distance bus station to pick up extra passengers, and then made its way. As Rough Guides did mention in the book, the buses will show in writing that they go to the Hanging Temples, and the drivers will also say they do. First tip, they do not. At 07:04am the bus stopped in the middle of know where, dropped me off with a tourist from Korea where we jumped into a waiting car that took us to the Temples.
Yungang Caves - Shanxi Province
Once at the temples, there is not anything there but the Temples. It cost me 30rmb to get in, though it usually cost 60rmb. It was cheaper due to the national holiday. I say plan around 30 to 45 minutes to view the Temples. You can only go one way, you can back track through the Temple, when you visit you there you will know why. I am only quite small and thinly built, and I struggled to walk up and down some stairs and walk through a cave. There is a lot of bending and twisting your body to access parts of the Hanging Temples, but I tell you, it is one place I am so glad I had visited, it is amazing. I don’t know why it is still hanging there; they must have built it really well back in the days.
When you leave Hanging Temples, you need to barter a taxi, apparently you can get them down to a cheaper fare, and the drivers will start at 20rmb. I just paid 20rmb. The taxi will take you to the long distance bus station where you will pay 20rmb for the journey back to Datong. The bus will take longer coming back; it took me 2 hours to get back by bus, but just over an hour to get there. Again, another warning, like all other places in China, the long distance buses will drop you off anywhere in town, where you do not know where you are. Thankfully, after asking the driver if he could drop me back of at the long distance bus station, he dropped me off. Do not be afraid to ask.
From there I jumped into a taxi which took me to the Yungang Caves for 40rmb, which is a long way out of town. Once at the Yungang Caves, you will be dropped off at the end of the street, then you have to walk around 150 metres past souvenir and food stalls to come to the ticket booth. Entrance fee for this weekend was 30rmb, but again it usually cost 60rmb. You are best to plan at least 3 hours for the caves, the caves cover a fair bit of territory and there is so much to see, there is so much detail in the caves. You can probably actually stay longer. I did not realize the Yungang Caves were this big. I was amazed by all of the carved statues of Buddha’s. The caves on the left hand side, going from 7 to 20 are the most spectacular, though they go to 45. On the right hand side, you can see caves 6 to 1, which are also quite impressive. A bit of a warning, security does get a bit upset if you take photos in caves 6 and 7, though people still do, you just have to be discreet like I did. But again the caves in Yungang are a place to visit. On the way back I jumped on the number three bus which cost 1.5rmb which terminated at the Xinkaili bus terminal, it takes around 25 minutes, and the bus is full all the way.
This weekend, I also wanted to visit the Wood Pagoda but due to the hostel booking an early train ticket, I could not take the risk to go to Wood Pagoda and then get caught up in traffic, and miss my train, especially when all the trains were full. It takes around 2 hours by long distance bus to get there. I will just go back there another weekend.
Down the main corridor in Datong you can view the Drum Tower, which you can not go inside, but it over shadows everything else near it. Just east of the Drum Tower is the Nine Dragon Screen, which I could not see. I made two walks down there to see it. I walked around the block, I walked amongst the block or building. I stood down that street, and stared at the building trying to see what and where it is. Apparently, it is no more than 100 metres down the street from the Drum Tower. I could not see it, so if you ever visit Datong, and you can see it or you know what it looks like, could you please send me an email with a photo so it would put me out of my misery.
The Drum Tower which is in the middle of Datong City. Down the main corridor. Can not miss..
The people of Datong to me are quite friendly and helpful, if you ask someone whether it is a police officer or someone working in a hotel or bus driver or who ever, they will try to help you. They may not know English, or with a little English and with your little Chinese, you will receive some little information, which will be helpful. I had lunch on the Saturday, one street south after the Drum Tower on the left hand side at the little local restaurant which had no customers, though the single hot pot was delicious and very tasty and the couple which owned it were so lovely (Please see photo for restaurant). They knew no English but with my little Chinese, we were able to communicate for an hour, and they gave me the meal for free. While for dinner, I had dinner on Xinjian Bei Lu which is the street that is straight ahead when you walk out of the station when you first arrive, when you walk down that street, cross over Xima Lu, and you will see a lot of out door food places. At one of these places I had another hot pot. (Please see photo for restaurant).
A place of friendly hospitality one block south of the Drum Tower. A great place to have lunch.
Rough guides also mentioned in the book that the CITS at the railway station is a place that you should make your first visit. It is not where the book says, it is actually in the arrival hall on the right hand side just before you exit. Just a warning, they are quite hard to get hold off, I could not book anything through them as they were closed for most of the time, when I did catch them, and I had already been to the Temple and Caves, though I was able to get advice from them about the Pagoda. The two gentlemen in there are very nice guys, and they speak English perfectly.
Xinjian Bei Lu is packed with low cost restaurants to try and taste the Datong food. This one seemed the best to me.
The place to stay at in Datong is the hotel on the left hand side of the arrival hall, once you arrival, exit the doors, turn left and it is around a 10 metre walk. They do not understand English, but with your little Chinese, you will check in okay. It coast 128rmb for a night with 100rmb deposit and you get a very nice room ( see photograph) with two single beds, cable TV, air conditioner, telephone, chairs, shower, and toilet. The staff will show you to your room, and then will go through everything with you, to show you how things work. I have not seen this for a long time. With this hotel, I think they save the nice rooms for the foreigners and the crappy rooms which you will walk past on the way to your room for the Chinese nationals.
A friendly, clean and reasonably cheap hotel to stay at in Datong. Situated right next to the arrivals at the railway station.
If you need to develop your digital photos walk down Xinjian Bei Lu from railway station turn left on to Xima LU, walk 100 metres, past a bank on the left hand side and two shops after, you will come across a Kodak shop. Three nice ladies work in the store; I think they are all family. They do not give same day service, but if you make known to them, you can not pick up the next day, and they will develop your photos in 2 to 3 hours cost 0.60rmb a photo.
Just to finish off Datong is a place to go, I think you too will have the same enjoyable experience, and I have no problems in returning there the second time to see the Wood Pagoda.
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