10 attractions in Shanxi's two cities

Attraction 8

Datong Great Wall, Datong

Address: S45 Tianli Highway, Tianzhen county, Datong city, Shanxi province
Opening Hours: 9 am-5 pm
Ticket Price: Free

The Datong Great Wall, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, was built during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).

Datong has historically been a dividing line between the agricultural civilization in the south and the nomadic cultures in the north of China. It’s one of the key military strongholds due to its strategic significance. The Datong Great Wall boasts a long history, spanning multiple dynasties including remains from the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), Han Dynasty (206 BC -220), Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), Sui Dynasty (581-618), Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). According to a 2009 survey, the section of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Datong city stretches for 343.149 km. This includes 80.309 km in Hunyuan county, 0.08 km in Guangling county, 4.298 km in Lingqiu county, 62.213 km in Tianzhen county, 49.098 km in Yanggao county, 37.489 km in Zuoyun county and 109.662 km in the city’s Xinrong district.