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Best Things to Do
Top 50 Best Things to Do near Wuchuan [2025]
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Yungang Grottoes
4.8
/5
29479 reviews
8.9
From £ 12.48
Based on 995 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +8603527992666
Address: No. 1, Yungang Town, Yungang District, Datong City, Shanxi Province
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-4 hours
Highlights:
Stroll through the grottoes and explore Forty Caves
59,000+ stone sculptures inside caves
Saved by 733 users22897 positive reviews
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Essential Notes on the Yungang Grottoes~
🌟Location: Located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, approximately 16 kilometers west of Datong City, the grottoes are carved into the mountainside, stretching approximately 1 kilometer from east to west.
🌟History: One of the largest ancient grotto complexes in China, it is considered one of the "Three Great Grottoes of China" along with the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang and the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang. It is also a world-renowned art treasure trove, and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001.
🌟Excavation Period: From the reign of Emperor Wencheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty (circa 460 AD) to the Zhengguang period of Emperor Xiaoming (circa 524 AD), a period of approximately 64 years.
🌟Existing Caves: 45 main caves, 252 large and small niches, and over 51,000 stone sculptures (some small Buddha statues have been severely weathered).
🌟Historical Background:
The excavation of the Yungang Grottoes is closely linked to the rise and fall of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The Northern Wei Dynasty was a regime established by the Tuoba tribe of the Xianbei people. After unifying the north, they established their capital in Pingcheng (present-day Datong). To consolidate their rule, the imperial family promoted Buddhism and made it the state religion.
🌟Artistic Characteristics and Periodization:
1. Early Period (460-465 AD): The Five Caves of Tan Yao (Caves 16-20), excavated under the guidance of the eminent monk Tan Yao, symbolize the five emperors of the early Northern Wei Dynasty and pioneered the practice of imperial cave sculpture.
The Buddha statues are majestic and towering, with round faces, prominent noses, deep eyes, broad shoulders and powerful bodies. They wear robes that either expose the right shoulder or cover the entire shoulder, embodying the virile spirit of the northern nomadic peoples.
2. Middle Period (465-494 AD): Caves 1-15, constructed during the heyday of the Northern Wei Dynasty, when the Sinicization reforms had already begun. The Buddha statues are meticulously carved and magnificent, featuring a wide variety of themes. They include not only Buddha images but also numerous reliefs depicting donors, musicians, and stories from the Buddha's past and future lives. The Buddha's clothing became loose and wide-sleeved, and his features became more delicate, embodying a Central Plains style. The murals and decorations of this period are extremely ornate.
3. Late Period (494-525 AD): The small and medium-sized caves west of Cave 20 were constructed after the Northern Wei Dynasty relocated its capital to Luoyang. Imperial construction ceased, and private cave construction flourished. The caves of this period became smaller in size, but the figures are slender and handsome, with long necks and narrow shoulders, gentle expressions, and flowing clothing. This reflects the aesthetic taste of the Southern Dynasties scholar-officials and laid the foundation for the later artistic style of the Longmen Grottoes.
🌟 Representative Caves:
Cave 20 (Open-air Buddha): The symbol of the Yungang Grottoes, its main statue of seated Sakyamuni stands 13.7 meters tall. Cave 5 (Big Buddha Cave): The seated Buddha in the center of the cave stands 17 meters tall, making it the tallest Buddha statue in the Yungang Grottoes.
Cave 6 (Sakyamuni Cave): The carvings depict the complete story of Sakyamuni from birth to enlightenment, with a strong narrative flow and a pinnacle of carving artistry.
Cave 12 (Music Cave): Dozens of lifelike carvings of instrumentalists are invaluable resources for the study of ancient Chinese music.
I was stunned by this masterpiece when I first encountered it in 2009. Returning this year, I have only one thing to say: For murals, the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang are the best; but for stone carvings, the Yungang Grottoes are unrivaled. There's only one, and only only, Yungang Grottoes, and nothing else can surpass them. Its beauty, its exquisiteness, its brilliance... every beautiful word can be used to describe it, and it's not an exaggeration. No matter how you look at it, you can't get enough of it, and no explanation can ever fully capture its beauty. I highly recommend anyone visiting Shanxi to see it for themselves.
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Yingxian Wooden Pagoda
4.8
/5
14606 reviews
8.4
From £ 2.60
Based on 182 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +8603495088889
Address: Northwest corner of Yingxian city, Shuozhou city
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
11-foot Buddha statue inside
Panoramic views of nature & history
Saved by 126 users13426 positive reviews
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The thousand-year-old wooden tower, all wooden structure, is the filming location of the Black Myth Wukong game. It is really beautiful. Others find it boring. In order to protect the wooden tower, only one floor is currently open. It's a pity, but it is amazing. It seems that every scenery in Shanxi is amazing. I heard that the tower is slowly tilting and cannot be repaired. The mortise and tenon structure is too complicated. I suggest buying a ticket to go in and see it, not the appearance. It is worth seeing it inside to see this thousand-year-old wooden tower.
In terms of scenery, this tower is truly stunning. As for the story, it's definitely worth finding a guide to listen carefully and see the story carefully; otherwise, it's hard to understand why this tower is so famous.
The parking lot is spacious, and even during May Day, you can still get a tour guide. Although the line to enter the tower looked long, it didn't take long, and the inside is worth seeing.
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Xuankong Temple
4.7
/5
9414 reviews
8.4
From £ 3.02
Based on 793 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +8603528333081
Address: At the foot of Hengshan Mountain in the southeastern suburb of Wuyuan County, Datong City
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
Admire Exquisite Wood Carved Murals Along the Plank Road
Cliffside's breathtaking architecture
Saved by 662 users7038 positive reviews
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1. The Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain. The entire temple clings to the cliffs of Hengshan Mountain, supported by only a single pillar. It's incredibly precarious, seemingly ready to collapse at any moment, a truly daunting sight.
2. The Hanging Temple at the foot of Hengshan Mountain is a breathtakingly ingenious structure. This massive temple seems to soar into the air, leaving you in awe of the ingenuity of the craftsmen thousands of years ago.
3. I wonder how the builders of the Hanging Temple managed to transport the stones and wood up the mountain.
4. The Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain, the Northern Peak, is truly a rare sight.
1. The Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain. The entire temple clings to the cliffs of Hengshan Mountain, supported by only a single pillar. It's incredibly precarious, seemingly ready to collapse at any moment, a truly daunting sight.
2. The Hanging Temple at the foot of Hengshan Mountain is a breathtakingly ingenious structure. This massive temple seems to soar into the air, leaving you in awe of the ingenuity of the craftsmen thousands of years ago.
3. I wonder how the builders of the Hanging Temple managed to transport the stones and wood up the mountain.
4. The Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain, the Northern Peak, is truly a rare sight.
No.
4
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Whistling Dune Bay
4.3
/5
4643 reviews
8.3
From £ 12.48
Based on 81 reviews
Xiangshawan | >100 km from downtown
Phone +864008785550
Address: Dalad, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 day
Highlights:
Breathtaking desert views & panorama
Camel rides in the desert
Saved by 301 users2959 positive reviews
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Singing Sand Bay, a wonder in the desert! Enjoy camel rides, sandboarding, sandboarding, and bonfire parties all in one place. The sand sings, and the starry night sky is breathtaking. It's the perfect place to de-stress and connect with nature. You won't want to leave!
Xiangshawan is the desert I most want to visit when I go to Inner Mongolia. Because I need to bring children, there are food for sale there, which is a bit commercialized. But it’s my first time in the desert, and I still feel good.
No.
5
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Dazhao Temple
4.7
/5
7571 reviews
8.3
From £ 3.64
Based on 138 reviews
Dazhao Temple / Saishang old street | 36.6 km from downtown
Phone +8604716303154
Address: Dazhao Street, Yuquan District, Hohhot City
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
10-yard golden dragon & mural
Grand blessing ceremony on Lantern Festival
Saved by 316 users4837 positive reviews
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The location is excellent. After visiting the Dazhao Temple, you can walk to the nearby Saishang Old Street, and then go to the Xilituzhao Temple across the road. It is a little smaller than the Dazhao Temple. When traveling, the goal is to go in and take a look.
In the morning mist of Hohhot's old city, Dazhao Temple stands like an old man draped in a crimson cassock, quietly guarding the secrets of the fusion of grassland and Buddhism. Stepping through the mountain gates, the mundane world is instantly separated by the vermilion walls. The aroma of incense and butter washes away the dust of travel, like a cup of piping hot milk tea, washing away the dust of travel. The first breath of astonishment is the Silver Buddha Hall: a statue of Sakyamuni, cast from 30,000 taels of pure silver, features downcast brows. The patterns on the lotus pedestal are softly shadowed by the light, as if a gentle breath would cause compassion to overflow from the silver light. Two golden dragons coiled upward, their whiskers almost touching the beams. Their scales gleamed coldly in the gloom, like lightning striking the grassland night sky, frozen in time by the craftsman. The mural gallery is another dimension, where the robes of flying figures painted with mineral pigments still carry a gentle breeze. The clink of horse hooves, chanting, and camel bells from centuries past are locked within the mottled hues; with a touch of your fingertips, you can smell the scent of dried sand and grass mingled with the paint. If you witness a lama debating, their crimson robes flow like a surging tide, the drumming of the bell and wooden fish resonates deeply in your heart, even your breathing slows to the rhythm. Young lamas, clutching scriptures, run through the corridors, their steps as brisk as spring lambs, giving the ancient temple a sudden, beating heart. Exit the temple gates, turn down an alley, and you'll find Saishang Old Street. Your nostrils, freshly scented with the aroma of ghee, are instantly infused with the milky fragrance of freshly baked yogurt cakes and the coarse, salty, and savory texture of air-dried beef, as if you've fallen directly from a Buddhist land to a prairie bonfire. At that moment I realized that the charm of Dazhao Temple has never been its grand scale, but the way it blends faith and fireworks, silver Buddhas and iron lions, Sanskrit sounds and shouts into the same breeze - blowing across the grassland and into the heart.
No.
6
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Huitengxile Huanghua Valley
4.3
/5
2741 reviews
8.2
From £ 10.20
Huitengxile Grassland | 90.2 km from downtown
Phone +8618347775166
Address: Phaeton Siler Grassland, Chayouzhong Banner, Wulanchabu City
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-4 hours
Saved by 134 users1824 positive reviews
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There is nothing much to play, just natural scenery, take various cars out of the ditch, there are grass skiing, water skiing, 50 yuan per time, the ticket includes the performance, a bit expensive. The scenery is not bad
The blue sky and white clouds grassland, the scenery is beautiful on a sunny day, there is a lot of traffic in the scenic area, the Internet celebrity train took, the elderly and children did not feel tired all the way down, there is grass skiing at their own expense, the scenery on the cable car in the ditch is the most beautiful, but there is nothing fun in the ditch. I came out to watch the Aobao performance, which was not bad.
No.
7
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Huayan Monastery
4.8
/5
9633 reviews
8.1
From £ 5.20
Based on 147 reviews
Ancient City Tourist Cultural Area | >100 km from downtown
Phone +8603522042001
Address: No. 459 Xia Sipo Street, Datong City
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Saved by 144 users7840 positive reviews
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If you come to Datong for the first time, you must visit Huayan Temple. I want to see the kissing at Huayan Temple. I want to see all the historical sites at Huayan Temple. It is very knowledgeable and broadens your horizons. It is very good. I like Datou very much. I like Datong's weather and the people of Datong. The service here is super good.
Huayan Temple, comprising the Upper and Lower Temples, forms a magnificent Liao and Jin architectural complex. A first-tier National Protected Site, it faces west and east. The Upper Temple's Main Hall, a nine-bay, five-deep, hipped-roof structure, is the largest in China. The temple boasts Liao-era landforms, Jin-era halls, Ming-era sculptures, and Qing-era murals, along with relics from various dynasties. The Lower Temple's Bodhisattva Hall, also a Liao-era structure, is particularly famous for its grinning Bodhisattva statue.
No.
8
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Wutai Mountain
4.6
/5
8124 reviews
8.0
From £ 5.20
Based on 440 reviews
Wuye Temple | >100 km from downtown
Phone +8618634384269
Address: 205 Provincial Rd, Wutai Xian, Xinzhou Shi, Shanxi Sheng, China, 035515
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-3 days
Highlights:
Pilgrimage to five unique peaks
Panoramic view of Mount Wutai
Saved by 122 users5467 positive reviews
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Mount Wutai is so big that you don't have to worry about the route when you join a tour group. Those who travel independently can take the free shuttle bus in the scenic area and play from stop to stop. When you are tired, you can get on the bus, and when you are not tired, you can walk around. It is quite suitable, but there are too many people. September is the off-season and there are not many people, but there are still crowds of people. The reception level in the scenic area is limited, and there are queues in the toilets. The queuing phenomenon in the scenic area is serious, so some people will go there again and again. Below Dailuoding, there is a slow slope when you come down. If people want to rest, there is a very small step on the side with an iron frame next to it to sit on. However, there is no sign on the step and the bricks on the ground are gray, which is particularly difficult to distinguish. I sat there for less than 20 minutes and three or four people sprained their ankles, but I forgot to take pictures. I hope the scenic area will consider being more humane when designing the rest platform.
I bought my Mount Wutai ticket and the Wuye Bodhisattva Body-Expanding Talisman on Ctrip. On the bus to Mount Wutai, the driver told me my Ctrip ticket might not work. I was apprehensive. Could Ctrip be so unreliable? Then I figured I could just buy new tickets at the customer service center. I was immediately able to enter after swiping my ID at the entrance gate. What a relief! Ctrip is trustworthy!
No.
9
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Yanmenguan
4.7
/5
5513 reviews
8.0
From £ 8.84
Based on 5 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +8603506100519
Address: Daixian, Xinzhou, Shanxi, China
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-4 hours
Highlights:
Yang Family's legendary statue
Walk ancient Great Wall path
4673 positive reviews10K views in last month
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The round-trip sightseeing bus, entering and exiting from the north, costs 10 yuan. You'll need to get on the bus to reach the scenic area ticket office (though it's not necessary. I saw that the bus can be driven to the scenic area ticket office). If you're physically fit, you can hike the 2 kilometers, though the uphill slope is a bit tiring). The scenic area is famous, but there's not much to see. The mountain is foggy. The weather is unpredictable, and you can't predict which cloud will bring rain. Wear sneakers with non-slip soles if you're entering and exiting from the north. It takes about 2 hours. If you're walking the entire route, both north and south, it depends on your physical fitness.
I arrived at the Yanmen Pass that I had longed for. It has a long history and is magnificent. I felt the long history of Chinese culture. I climbed the Great Wall, walked from the North Gate to the South Gate, and then walked from the South Gate to the North Gate. The experience was simply too great.
No.
10
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Wulanhada Volcano Geopark
4.2
/5
646 reviews
7.7
From £ 3.12
Ulan Hada Volcano Geopark | >100 km from downtown
Phone +8604744811717
Address: Chahar Right Wing Hou Banner, Wulanchabu City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 day
Highlights:
Safe volcano summit & entry
Explore 20+ new volcano relics
Saved by 167 users506 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Volcanoes are one of Ulanqab's most striking features. Regardless of your experience, a visit is essential. Volcano No. 8 is highly recommended; it's incredibly dark and hot, and truly captivating. The beautiful scenery created by the volcano, the blue sky, white clouds, grasslands, and cattle and sheep is a highlight of the scenic area.
This kind of attraction requires off-peak travel and good weather to fully experience. I visited the volcano on Friday. The entire route was smooth. I easily climbed the mountainside of Volcano 6 and then descended to the crater in a go-kart. Ctrip issued my ticket quickly, and I could enter the park by simply scanning the QR code. It was very convenient.
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