Things to Do in Datong with Kids: Honest Local Guide

The first time a young traveller asked me if the Buddha statue in Yungang was a Transformer, I nearly choked on my water. That moment taught me something.

Datong is a city of ancient rocks, but for kids it’s a giant playground of dragons, bells, and giant steps. The best things to do in Datong with kids are the ones that let them climb, ride, and shout — without turning the trip into a lecture on Northern Wei history.

If you’re stuck planning the family route, here’s my golden rule: do Yungang first, hit the city wall at sunset, and pack at least twice as many snacks as you think you need.

Why Datong Works for Families

Datong sits in the northern corner of Shanxi Province, a three-hour train ride from Beijing. Compared with the polished tourism machine of Xi’an or Beijing, Datong feels raw, windy, and wonderfully unpretentious.

I’ve guided families through this city for years, and the biggest surprise is how compact it is. Most sights cluster around the old city or within a half-hour drive. You can wake up in the city, stare at a cliff monastery, and still be back for a family dinner.

Here’s a non-consensus take: many travel guides tell you to use Datong as a base and rush out to the Hanging Temple first thing. I don’t. Save the long drive for later in your trip, if at all. The city itself rewards slow wandering far more — and the kids will agree when they spin on the huge brass drum at the Drum Tower.

Top Things to Do with Kids

Yungang Grottoes — Arrive Early, Leave Happy

Yungang Grottoes are the single best family highlight in Datong, if you arrive right at the opening hour. This UNESCO-listed site holds 51,000 Buddhist statues carved into the sandstone cliffs, and most kids react with genuine awe when they turn the corner and see the giant seated Buddha in Cave 5.

Address: Yungang District, Datong, Shanxi Province. Punch this into AMap or Apple Maps — Google Maps still isn’t reliable in China. From the city center it’s a 30-minute taxi ride, roughly 50–60 RMB. If you use a ride-hailing app, make sure the address is written in Chinese characters before you set off.

Tickets cost around 120 RMB for adults, with reduced or free entry for children depending on height and age. Always carry your passports to the ticket window — every member of the family needs one. I book my guests’ tickets through Trip.com the night before, because the WeChat mini-program in pure Chinese is a headache for foreigners. That wait at the booking office is doable, but on weekends it can eat 20 minutes.

Open roughly 8:30 to 17:30, but I suggest arriving at 8:15 to catch the first shuttle bus. The big advantage of morning light: the main east-facing caves are lit beautifully, and the paths aren’t packed. By 10:30 the tour groups take over, especially around Caves 9–13.

Play a game with your kids: ask them to count the flying musicians in Cave 12, then search for the upside-down legs on some flyingapsaras. It keeps little eyes busy while you absorb the detail. The complex includes a shuttle bus that saves about 15 minutes of walking from the entrance — use it if your child’s legs have already filed a complaint.

Heads up: there are no toilets past Cave 10, and the ones near the entrance get messy by noon. Make the kids “try” before you walk in. Bring hats, water, and a light snack. The site is spacious but almost completely unshaded. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the Yungang Grottoes are a masterpiece of Chinese Buddhist cave art — which is a fancy way of saying: this is the one thing you should not skip.

Datong Ancient City Wall — Let Them Ride a Bike

Renting a bike on the city wall is the best way to let kids burn off energy while you catch the sunset over Datong’s old town. The wall is free to enter, and the four main gates are open daily until about 21:00 or 22:00 — hours vary by season.

Rent a two-seater or four-seater pedal bike at Yongtai Gate or Hening Gate. Expect to pay around 30 RMB per hour for a bike, with a deposit. Some bikes come with a small child seat, though I always prefer to sit a toddler between two adults on the wide surrey-style carts.

The cycle path along the top is wide and flat, ideal for wobbly riders. Traffic runs in one direction, but watch out for the occasional electric sightseeing buggy. My rule with kids: keep to the right and stop at every watchtower for a quick climb — each one offers a different view of the old city and the new towers rising beyond.

Time it for the last hour before sunset. The wall lights flicker on gradually, and the old city turns soft gold. This is the moment most package tours miss, because they leave town before dinner. Bring a small jacket; the wind on the wall picks up once the sun goes down.

Huayan Temple — Pillars, Statues, and Quiet Courtyards

Huayan Temple is a low-key cultural stop that works even with toddlers. It’s one of China’s largest surviving Liao-Jin dynasty temple complexes, and it sits right on the edge of the old town, a short walk from the Drum Tower.

Address: Huayan Street, Pingcheng District, Datong. The ticket is around 50 RMB for adults, and children under a certain height get in free. Opening hours are roughly 8:00 to 18:00. There’s a small parking area, but I’d rather you taxi here because the streets around the temple are narrow.

The main hall — the Mahavira Hall — is enormous and dark, with five huge clay statues that make kids whisper for the first time all day. The wooden Bodhisattva sculpture in the temple’s library is the one I always point out: it’s said to be 900 years old, and it bends forward like it’s listening to secrets.

Don’t try to rush through the whole complex. Let the kids sit on the stone steps of the south courtyard and watch the pigeons. The temple has no air conditioning, so late afternoon is more comfortable than midday. Watch the thresholds — they’re high, and they love to trip children who are busy looking upward.

The Nine-Dragon Wall — A Five-Minute Stop, a Lifetime Memory

The Nine-Dragon Wall is tiny, free, and oddly hypnotic for children. It’s a 45-meter Ming dynasty glazed-tile wall covered with nine writhing dragons, and it sits near the old city’s east gate.

Address: He Yang Jie, Pingcheng District, Datong. You can see it in 10 minutes flat. Kids love counting the dragons and spotting the tiny pearl hidden under the central dragon’s chin. You can’t touch the wall — it’s roped off — but the small paved square in front is a safe place for a quick snack break.

Turn this into a riddle: ask your child why there are nine dragons, not eight or ten. In imperial China, nine was an emperor’s number. The fact that this wall was built for a prince — not the emperor — makes it a sneaky piece of political history you can explain without boring anyone.

Hanging Temple (Hengshan) — Worth the Drive, with Caveats

The Hanging Temple is spectacular, but I only recommend it with kids if you manage your expectations. It’s a wooden monastery clinging to a sheer cliff more than 50 meters above the ground, and it looks like a mistake of engineering that somehow worked.

Here is the catch: it’s about 1.5 hours south of Datong in Hunyuan County. A round trip takes most of a day. Hire a private driver for around 500 RMB, or book a small-group tour from Datong — this is easier with children because you can keep your own pace. Expect a narrow, steep climb up ancient stairs. If your child has a fear of heights, or if you are carrying a toddler in a carrier, skip the climb and walk across the street to the riverbank viewpoint. You’ll get the iconic photo without the queuing.

Tickets cost roughly 100–115 RMB for adults, and kids may have reduced fares based on age and height. The site can limit daily visitors, so book ahead on Trip.com during busy weekends. Open hours are around 8:30 to 17:00.

My honest advice: if you have only one or two days in Datong, save the Hanging Temple for a future trip. It’s magnificent, but the car ride eats valuable family time. If you do go, stop for lunch in Hunyuan at a village restaurant — the cold noodles and tofu soup are simple and usually delight kids.

Datong Museum — Free and Underrated

Datong Museum is a free, modern break from ancient sites and a lifesaver in rain or heat. Most tourists walk right past it, which is why my kids’ guests always end up having the interactive histories section almost to themselves.

Address: Taihe Road, Pingcheng District, Datong. It’s about 20 minutes by taxi from the old town (around 25 RMB). Admission is free, but you must show your passport at the entrance. It’s closed on Mondays, typically open from 9:00 to 17:00.

The Northern Wei and Liao dynasty displays are well designed, with slim, colorful galleries that don’t feel like a snooze. There’s a replica of a Northern Wei tomb and a lot of small animal figurines — a magnet for little hands (behind glass, thankfully). The museum has clean restrooms, elevators, and a small café on the second floor. I often bring my groups here after Yungang as a quiet reset before dinner.

Practical Tips for Visiting with Kids

How to Get Around with Kids

Use taxis or app-based rides instead of buses if your children need a stroller, a nap, or a bathroom immediately. Datong’s public buses are cheap but hot, crowded, and rarely direct to the attractions. A taxi across town costs roughly 15–35 RMB, and most drivers won’t expect a tip.

For ride-hailing, set up Alipay and link an international card, or ask your hotel to arrange an official taxi. Cash works, but drivers hate making change — small denominations are your friend. I always carry a card with the attraction names written in Chinese. Hand it to the driver and you’re sorted.

Navigation is a classic pain point: Google Maps is effectively useless across China. Use Apple Maps or download AMap Global before you arrive. Even better, ask Reception to save addresses in Chinese on your phone. That five-minute preparation saves you from standing at a taxi rank with a tired child in your arms. Also, set up a VPN before your trip and keep Apple Translate or Baidu Translate handy — you’ll need them for handwritten-only menus and occasional road signs.

What to Feed Your Kids in Datong

Datong’s food is salty, noodle-heavy, and surprisingly easy for picky eaters if you know two magic dishes. The city’s pride is 刀削面, or knife-cut noodles, served in a rich soup — often with fresh tomato and egg, which my young travellers demolish. The second is 凉粉, a cold jelly-like noodle dish with garlic and chilli. Ask for it “not spicy” for timid eaters.

For a reliable family meal, walk into the food courts of the big shopping malls — the one inside 百盛 (Baishing) near the old city has picture menus and trays, so you can point at what you want. A big bowl of noodles costs around 15–20 RMB. Most local restaurants don’t have English menus, but they almost always have an illustrated menu or you can show a photo of a dish on your phone.

Payment warning: don’t assume a restaurant takes international credit cards. Use Alipay or WeChat Pay, and keep about 200 RMB in cash per day as a backup. I also stuff a few crackers and bananas in my backpack — attraction snack stands exist, but they are overpriced and not always open.

How to Handle Tickets and Reservations

Most Datong attractions need a passport and an online booking, and the easiest route for foreigners is Trip.com or Klook. Their English interfaces accept international cards and send QR codes straight to your phone. WeChat mini-programs are cheaper or even required for some national sites, but they are entirely in Mandarin and often reject foreign passports during verification. I’ve had quite a few “payment error” breakdowns happen in hotel lobbies while a toddler crawls around — avoid this by using a foreign-friendly platform whenever possible.

Keep your passports with you at all times. You’ll show them at most ticket gates, and for the Hanging Temple the ID check can be strict. For any attraction that still asks for a WeChat reservation, ask your hotel receptionist to handle it — this is a completely normal request, and they’ll have it done in two minutes.

Pro Tip: For Yungang Grottoes, buy tickets at least one day ahead online — even in shoulder season, the walk-up window can have a line. If you arrive early without a reservation, enter the “Foreign Passport” lane if one exists; otherwise, join the ticket queue and don’t panic. The official staff have always been patient in my experience, they just need your passport number.

For current visa or entry rules for family travel, check the National Immigration Administration website — it’s the authoritative source for visa-free and transit policies.

One-Day Itinerary with Kids

This is my go-to route for families who have a single full day in Datong. It balances early focus, midday rest, and a slow evening.

If rain or heat waves hit, swap the museum to 10:00 and spend the afternoon at the city wall’s gate towers or an indoor shopping mall at 百盛. The old town has a few teahouses that welcome families, but I honestly prefer the museum’s café for a long break.

Quick Answers to Common Questions

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