- Wade-Giles romanization:
- Ta-t’ung
Datong
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Where is Datong located in China?
Datong is a city in northern Shanxi province, China, located just south of the Great Wall on a fertile plain. It lies at the northern limits of traditional Chinese settlement and is watered by the Sanggan River and its tributaries.
Datong's growth into a modern city began in 1917 with the completion of a railway linking it to Beijing and Tianjin. The city is nicknamed the "City of Coal" because its primary economic activity is coal mining.
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What is Datong known for historically?
Datong has a rich history as a strategic and cultural center in China. During the Han dynasty, it served as a crucial frontier command against nomadic groups. In 398 CE, the Tuoba founders of the Northern Wei dynasty established their capital in Datong, maintaining it even when they controlled all of North China. The city was walled in 421 CE and became known for its splendor, including palaces, official buildings, and the Buddhist cave temples of Yungang, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Datong later served as an important administrative center under the Khitan and Jin dynasties and a major strategic center during the Ming dynasty.
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Which famous ancient sites can be found in Datong?
Datong, China, boasts several famous ancient sites reflecting its rich history. The Yungang Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site created in the 5th century CE, feature magnificent Chinese Buddhist cave temples. Another must-see is the Hanging Monastery of Xuan Kong Si, constructed in 491. This architectural marvel is unique as the only surviving temple built on the basis of China’s three main philosophies: Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. The Shanhua and Huayan temples are also well-known.
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Why are the Yungang Grottoes significant in Datong?
The Yungang Grottoes are significant to Datong for several reasons:
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Historical Significance The Yungang Grottoes are a series of Chinese Buddhist cave temples created in the 5th century CE during the Six Dynasties period. They are among the earliest examples of Buddhist art in China.
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Political and Economic Role The earliest temples were sponsored by the Tuoba (Bei or Northern) Wei rulers. The colossal Buddha images in each cave were equated with the first five emperors of the Bei Wei, emphasizing the political and economic role that the court imposed upon Buddhism.
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Cultural Synthesis The sculptural style represents a synthesis of foreign influences, including Persian, Byzantine, and Greek, derived from the Buddhist art of India.
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Tourism and Heritage The cave complex, a popular tourist destination, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001.
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How did Datong's location influence its importance in Chinese history?
Datong's location north of the Great Wall on a fertile plain near the Sanggan River significantly shaped its historical importance. During the Han dynasty (2nd and 1st centuries BCE), it served as a crucial frontier command against nomadic groups. In 398 CE, the Northern Wei dynasty established Datong as its capital, fortifying it with walls in 421 CE.
Datong's strategic position made it a key military and administrative center for various dynasties, including the Khitan Liao and Jin. Under the Ming dynasty, Datong became a vital stronghold against the Mongols. The city's role as a commercial hub grew with railway connections to Beijing, Tianjin, and Inner Mongolia.
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What efforts has Datong made to preserve its historical and cultural sites?
Datong has made considerable efforts to preserve its historical and cultural sites. The city preserves many ancient buildings and monuments, some dating to the Liao and Jin periods. The Yungang caves, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001, and the Shanhua and Huayan temples are well known. To the north of the city is the large tomb of the mother of the founder of the Bei Wei capital.
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Datong, city, northern Shanxi sheng (province), northern China. The city is situated at the northern limits of traditional Chinese settlement, just south of the Great Wall on a fertile plain watered by the Sanggan River and its tributaries. Pop. (2002 est.) city, 1,028,730; (2007 est.) urban agglom., 1,873,000.
History
During the 2nd and 1st centuries bce, the region was the headquarters for the eastern frontier command of the Han armies protecting the area against the militant, nomadic Xiongnu. After the 1st century ce the area was lost by the Chinese, and it was recovered by them only in the latter half of the 3rd century. In 398 ce the Tuoba founders of the Bei (Northern) Wei dynasty established and maintained their capital there even when they controlled all of North China. The seat of their dynasty was finally transferred south to Luoyang in Henan province at the end of the 5th century. The city of Datong was walled in 421, the outer wall being some 10 miles (16 km) in circumference. Vast numbers of Chinese were forcibly removed from elsewhere in the north to settle the area. In spite of the logistic problems arising from having a capital far from the rich revenue-producing parts of the North Chinese empire, the city was of considerable size and splendour. In addition to its palaces and official buildings, constructed by the Wei royal family, who were pious Buddhists, the extensive Buddhist cave temples of Yungang were also built during that period on the western outskirts of the city.
After the transfer of the capital, the city was sacked and abandoned. In the ensuing period it underwent many changes of name. In the early part of the Tang dynasty (618–907), it became the seat of Yunzhou prefecture. At that time it had only a scattering of Chinese settlers, and in the 8th century—when Datong first appeared as the name of the principal army quartered in the area—it was the centre of an extensive program of military colonization. In 947 the area was overrun by the Khitan people and once again became an important administrative centre. Under the Khitan (whose Liao dynasty ruled until 1125) and their successors, the Jin (Juchen), the city was the western capital; an attached Datong county was set up in 1048. Under the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368), it was known as Datong. With the establishment of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and the resurgence of a centralized China, Datong once again became a major Chinese strategic centre, constituting a stronghold in the line of defense against the Mongols. It was again walled in the late 14th century. From Ming times onward it was incorporated into Shanxi province.
The contemporary city
Datong’s growth as a modern city began in 1917 with the completion of the railway linking it to Beijing and Tianjin. The line was extended westward to Hohhot and Baotou (both in Inner Mongolia) in 1920–23, after which the city was also linked with central and southern Shanxi by a line to Taiyuan. In the 1950s its importance increased with the completion of the western rail link with Lanzhou in Gansu province and Ürümqi in the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang and of the northern line to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and to Siberia. Datong was also the centre of a local road network into Inner Mongolia; it became a collecting and commercial centre for the surrounding Chinese agrarian population and for the Mongolians in Inner Mongolia.
Nicknamed the "City of Coal," Datong has as its primary economic activity the mining of coal. Its annual output of coal amounts to a significant portion of the total for the province. An electrified heavy trunk rail line was constructed in the 1980s to link the city with the seaport of Qinhuangdao (northeastern Hebei) on the Bo Hai (Gulf of Chihli) for transporting coal. Because of its abundant coal deposits, power generating is also an economic mainstay. Industries producing machinery, cement, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals also have been developed there.
Datong preserves many ancient buildings and monuments, some dating to the Liao and Jin periods. In addition to the Yungang caves, which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001, the Shanhua and Huayan temples are well known. To the north of the city is the large tomb of the mother of the founder of the Bei Wei capital.