Datong

File:Datong jiulongbi.jpg]]

File:Datong bell tower.JPG

The area of present-day Datong was close to the state of Dai, which was conquered by the Zhao clan of Jin in 457 BC. It was a frontier land between the agricultural Chinese and the nomads of the Great Steppe. The area was well known for its trade in horses.

The area of present-day Datong eventually came under the control of the Qin dynasty, during which it was known as Pingcheng County (平城县) and formed part of the Qin commandery of Yanmen.{{citation |last=Hou |first=Xiaorong |author-mask=Hou Xiaorong |script-title=zh:《秦代政区地理》 |trans-title=An Atlas of Qin-Era Administrative Divisions |date=2009 |publisher=Social Science Academic Press |location=Beijing }}. {{in lang|zh}} Pingcheng County continued under the Han dynasty, which founded a site within present-day Datong in 200{{nbsp}}BC following its victory against the Xiongnu nomads at the Battle of Baideng. Located near a pass to Inner Mongolia along the Great Wall, Pingcheng blossomed under Han rule and became a stop-off point for camel caravans moving from China into Mongolia and beyond. It was sacked at the end of the Eastern Han. Pingcheng became the capital of the Xianbei-founded Northern Wei dynasty from AD{{nbsp}}398–494. The Yungang Grottoes were constructed during the later part of this period (460–494). During the mid to late 520s, Pingcheng was the seat of Northern Wei's Dai Commandery.{{harvp|Xiong|2009|loc=s.v. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=UD8Nvn7Ca18C&pg=PA106 Daijun]"}}. During the Tang dynasty, Datong became the seat of the Tang prefecture of Yunzhou, and the original Guandi temple was built.{{Cite web |title=Guandi Temple, Datong |url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/china/datong/da06.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.art-and-archaeology.com}}{{Cite web |title=Datong {{!}} China {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Datong |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}

The city was renamed Datong in 1048. It was the Xijing ("Western Capital") of the Jurchen Jin dynasty prior to being sacked by the Mongols. Datong later came under the control of the Ming dynasty, serving as an important Ming military stronghold against the Mongols to the north. During the Ming period, many of Datong's notable historical structures such as the Drum Tower and the Nine-Dragon Wall were built.{{Cite web |title=Drum Tower, Datong |url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/china/datong/da01.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.art-and-archaeology.com}}{{Cite web |title=Nine-Dragon Wall, Datong |url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/china/datong/da02.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.art-and-archaeology.com}} Datong was sacked again at the end of the Ming in 1649, but promptly rebuilt in 1652.

By 1982 a portion of its city walls remained so it became one of the National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities that year. Prior to 2008, about 100,000 people lived in the old city. In 2008 mayor Geng Yanbo decided to redevelop much of the inner city, with over {{convert|3|sqkm|sqmi}} being redeveloped, and with Geng becoming known as the "Demolition Mayor". Geng and his group anticipated that 30,000 to 50,000 people would remain in the old city.

In 2013 Geng left his position. Su Jiede of Sixth Tone wrote that much of the city was still under construction at the time and that Geng's efforts resulted in "a half-finished city center and a complicated legacy" and that "To critics, the city had spent enormous sums of money without much to show for it."{{cite web|last=Su|first=Jiede|url=https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1006277/In%20Datong,%20a%20Crumbling%20Legacy%20of%20China’s%20Most%20Extreme%20Urban%20Makeover|title=In Datong, a Crumbling Legacy of China's Most Extreme Urban Makeover|date=2020-10-10|access-date=2020-10-16}} By 2020 the population of the old city was below 30,000 and there were fewer governmental facilities available for the residents. That year Su stated that the old city "still presents a headache for the local government."

Su Jiede wrote that since Pingcheng District, which had most of its urbanized area, had 1,105,699 people as of 2020, "Datong is a small city by Chinese standards".

File:云岗石窟.JPG]]

Datong is the northernmost city of Shanxi, and is located in the Datong Basin, with an administrative area spanning latitude 39° 03'–40° 44' N and longitude 112° 34'–114° 33' E. The urban area is surrounded on three sides by mountains, with passes only to the east and southwest. Within the prefecture-level city elevations generally increase from southeast to northwest. Datong borders Ulanqab (Inner Mongolia) to the northwest and Zhangjiakou (Hebei) to the east, Shuozhou (Shanxi) to the southwest, and Xinzhou (Shanxi) to the south.

The well-known Datong Volcanic Arc lies nearby in the Datong Basin.

It is {{convert|250|km|mi}} west of Beijing.

Datong has a continental, monsoon-influenced steppe climate (Köppen BSk), influenced by the {{convert|1000|m}}+ elevation, with rather long, cold, very dry winters, and very warm summers. Monthly mean temperatures range from {{convert|−10.5|°C|1}} in January to {{convert|22.6|°C|1}} in July; the annual mean temperature is {{convert|7.33|°C|1}}. Due to the aridity and elevation, diurnal temperature variation is often large, averaging {{convert|13.2|C-change}} annually. There barely is any precipitation during winter, and more than {{frac|3|4}} of the annual precipitation occurs from June to September. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 54% in July to 66% in October, sunshine is abundant year-round, and the city receives 2,671 hours (about 60% of the possible total) of bright sunshine per year. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from {{convert|-31.9|°C|0}} on 16 December 2023 to {{convert|39.2|°C|0}} on 29 July 2010.

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| metric first = y

| single line = y

| collapsed = Y

| location = Datong, elevation {{convert|1053|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present)

| Jan high C = -2.9

| Feb high C = 2.1

| Mar high C = 9.2

| Apr high C = 17.4

| May high C = 23.7

| Jun high C = 27.8

| Jul high C = 28.9

| Aug high C = 27.2

| Sep high C = 22.4

| Oct high C = 15.3

| Nov high C = 6.2

| Dec high C = -1.3

| Jan mean C = -10.5

| Feb mean C = -5.8

| Mar mean C = 1.5

| Apr mean C = 9.7

| May mean C = 16.5

| Jun mean C = 21.0

| Jul mean C = 22.7

| Aug mean C = 20.8

| Sep mean C = 15.2

| Oct mean C = 7.7

| Nov mean C = -1.0

| Dec mean C = -8.4

| Jan low C = -16.6

| Feb low C = -12.4

| Mar low C = -5.4

| Apr low C = 2.1

| May low C = 8.7

| Jun low C = 14.0

| Jul low C = 16.7

| Aug low C = 14.9

| Sep low C = 8.8

| Oct low C = 1.4

| Nov low C = -6.8

| Dec low C = -14.1

| Jan record high C = 11.2

| Feb record high C = 19.2

| Mar record high C = 25.3

| Apr record high C = 35.4

| May record high C = 36.1

| Jun record high C = 39.0

| Jul record high C = 39.2

| Aug record high C = 35.9

| Sep record high C = 34.7

| Oct record high C = 27.5

| Nov record high C = 21.9

| Dec record high C = 15.8

| Jan record low C = −31.1

| Feb record low C = −28.2

| Mar record low C = −20.9

| Apr record low C = −16.1

| May record low C = −5.8

| Jun record low C = 2.9

| Jul record low C = 7.8

| Aug record low C = 2.8

| Sep record low C = −3.7

| Oct record low C = −11.5

| Nov record low C = -24.0

| Dec record low C = −31.9

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 2.1

| Feb precipitation mm = 3.6

| Mar precipitation mm = 8.9

| Apr precipitation mm = 21.0

| May precipitation mm = 32.8

| Jun precipitation mm = 53.1

| Jul precipitation mm = 96.9

| Aug precipitation mm = 76.1

| Sep precipitation mm = 60.2

| Oct precipitation mm = 23.3

| Nov precipitation mm = 8.3

| Dec precipitation mm = 1.8

| Jan humidity = 53

| Feb humidity = 46

| Mar humidity = 42

| Apr humidity = 38

| May humidity = 40

| Jun humidity = 50

| Jul humidity = 64

| Aug humidity = 68

| Sep humidity = 64

| Oct humidity = 57

| Nov humidity = 54

| Dec humidity = 52

| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 1.8

| Feb precipitation days = 2.2

| Mar precipitation days = 3.6

| Apr precipitation days = 4.3

| May precipitation days = 6.6

| Jun precipitation days = 11.2

| Jul precipitation days = 12.5

| Aug precipitation days = 11.1

| Sep precipitation days = 8.8

| Oct precipitation days = 5.5

| Nov precipitation days = 3.1

| Dec precipitation days = 1.7

| year precipitation days =

| Jan sun = 192.0

| Feb sun = 200.7

| Mar sun = 236.7

| Apr sun = 255.0

| May sun = 278.4

| Jun sun = 256.6

| Jul sun = 249.6

| Aug sun = 243.8

| Sep sun = 225.1

| Oct sun = 225.9

| Nov sun = 189.0

| Dec sun = 182.2

| year sun =

| Jan percentsun = 64

| Feb percentsun = 66

| Mar percentsun = 64

| Apr percentsun = 64

| May percentsun = 62

| Jun percentsun = 57

| Jul percentsun = 55

| Aug percentsun = 58

| Sep percentsun = 61

| Oct percentsun = 66

| Nov percentsun = 64

| Dec percentsun = 63

| year percentsun =

| Jan snow days = 3.3

| Feb snow days = 3.9

| Mar snow days = 3.8

| Apr snow days = 1.7

| May snow days = 0.2

| Jun snow days = 0

| Jul snow days = 0

| Aug snow days = 0

| Sep snow days = 0.1

| Oct snow days = 0.6

| Nov snow days = 3.4

| Dec snow days = 3.2

| year snow days =

| source 1 = China Meteorological Administration{{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans |access-date=26 August 2023}}

{{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans | access-date =26 August 2023 |title=Experience Template }}

{{cite web|url=http://old-cdc.cma.gov.cn/shuju/search1.jsp?dsid=SURF_CLI_CHN_MUL_MMON_19712000_CES&tpcat=SURF&type=table&pageid=3 |script-title=zh:中国地面国际交换站气候标准值月值数据集（1971－2000年）|publisher=China Meteorological Administration |access-date=2010-05-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055035/http://old-cdc.cma.gov.cn/shuju/search1.jsp?dsid=SURF_CLI_CHN_MUL_MMON_19712000_CES&tpcat=SURF&type=table&pageid=3 |archive-date=2013-09-21

}} all-time extreme temperature{{cite web

|url= http://www.mherrera.org/temp.htm

|title= Extreme Temperatures Around the World

|access-date= 2024-09-16

}}

| source =

}}

File:Txu-oclc-10552568-nk49-12.jpg, 1963)]]

• Defunct – Kuang District ({{lang-zh|s=矿区|p=Kuàngqū}}) is largely made up of separate mines throughout the metropolitan area.

The Yungang Grottoes are a collection of shallow caves located {{convert|16|km|abbr=on}} west of Datong. There are over 50,000 carved images and statues of Buddhas and bodhisattvas within these grottoes, ranging from 4 centimeters to 7 meters tall. Most of these icons are around 1500 years old.

Within the city itself, there are a few surviving sites of historical interest such as the Nine-Dragon Wall, the Huayan Monastery, and the Shanhua Temple. Further afield is the Hanging Temple built into a cliff face near Mount Heng. Most of the historical sites in this region date to the Liao, Jin and Ming dynasties, but the Hanging Temple dates to the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534).

The railway locomotive works (see below) began to attract increasing numbers of railway enthusiasts from the 1970s. When the construction of steam locomotives was phased out, the authorities did not want to lose this valuable tourism market, and pondered the possibility of developing a steam railway operating center as an attraction. A number of study visits were undertaken to the East Lancashire Railway at Bury, and a twinning arrangement was concluded with that town.

In 2010, work began on reconstructing the city's 14th century Ming dynasty defensive wall. The controversial reconstruction project was in its final phase at the end of 2014.{{cite news |title=Fake it to make it |url= http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1627359/fake-it-make-it|newspaper= South China Morning Post Magazine|location=Hong Kong |access-date= 2 November 2014}} The documentary The Chinese Mayor{{cite web|title=The Chinese Mayor|publisher=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4056808/ }} documents two years of vigorous and highly controversial (due to summary demolition of about 200,000 homes) effort by Mayor Geng Yanbo to push the reconstruction project forward.

File:Xuankongsi.jpg|The Hanging Temple

File:Loess landscape china.jpg|Loess landscape near Hunyuan

File:Datong 06.JPG|A tower on the City Wall

File:Pagoda Huayanmonastery Datong Shanxi.jpg|Pagoda at Huayan Temple

File:Datong Huayan Si 2013.08.29 09-37-05.jpg|Huayan Temple

File:Datong Yungang Shiku 2013.08.29 14-24-22.jpg|Lingyan Temple at Yungang Grottoes

File:Steps leading up to guard tower of Datong City Wall.jpg|Guard house on Datong City Wall

Datong is known for its knife-cut noodleshttps://inf.news/en/travel/988217c5317dd8bf472d38fff1883c87.html {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2022}} and Shanxi mature vinegar.https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2018/06/29/the-best-of-datong-in-96-hours.html

The GDP per capita was ¥17,852 (US$2,570) per annum in 2008, ranked no. 242 among 659 Chinese cities. Coal mining is the dominant industry of Datong. Its history and development are very much linked to this commodity.

Development zones

Datong Economic and Technological Development Zone

Due to its strategic position, it is also an important distribution and warehousing center for Shanxi, Hebei and Inner Mongolia.[http://www.china-briefing.com/article/central-china:-datong-551.html China Briefing Business Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221646/http://www.china-briefing.com/article/central-china:-datong-551.html |date=3 March 2016 }}. China-briefing.com. Retrieved on 25 February 2014.

Datong is an old fashioned coal mining city, and still sits on significant reserves of this commodity. Consequently, it has developed a reputation as one of China's most polluted cities. The Datong Coal Mining Group is based here and is China's third largest such enterprise. Datong is indeed however an emerging economy, as the city seeks to loosen its dependence on coal, introduce more environmentally friendly and efficient methods of extraction and move into other areas of business services. The local government has continued to upgrade its pillar coal sector (and related industries like coal chemicals, power and metallurgy), while also developing "substitute industries" such as machinery manufacturing, tourism and distribution, warehousing and logistics services. This has had some impact. Datong's GDP grew by 5.1 percent in 2008 to RMB56.6 billion.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tjcn.org/datong/tjgb/10207.html|title=2008 Datong Economy Report}} {{Dead link|date=July 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

While coal will continue to dominate, Datong has been identified as one of the key cities requiring redevelopment, with part of this being in environmental cleanup, rehabilitation and industrial refocusing. Datong is a pilot city for rehabilitation studies following years of pollution. To this end it has already struck up strong relationships with other cities worldwide with similar backgrounds, and has begun plans, for example, to develop a tourism base focused on steam engine technology with antique locomotives to be used along designated tracks.[http://www.china-briefing.com/article/central-china:-datong-551.html China Briefing Business Guide: Datong Economy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221646/http://www.china-briefing.com/article/central-china:-datong-551.html |date=3 March 2016 }}. China-briefing.com. Retrieved on 25 February 2014.

Datong has a large railway locomotive works, the 'Datong locomotive factory', opened in 1954. The works are notable as the main producer (~4,689 of 4,717) of the QJ or 'Advance Forward' ({{lang-zh|s=前进|p=Qiánjìn}}) class of steam locomotive, built as late as 1988. Steam locomotive production ended in the late 1980s and the plant's main products (as of 2010) is mainline electric locomotives. The factory is currently owned by the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation Ltd.

• Datong Coal Mine Group (The third biggest coal-mining enterprise in China){{cite web |url=http://www.dtcoalmine.com |script-title=zh:大同煤矿集团公司 |publisher=Datong Coal Mine Group |access-date=25 February 2014}}
• Datong Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd, (DELC) (The second biggest Elec-Locomotive enterprise in China)[http://www.dtloco.com/english/home.htm Datong Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd Of Cnr] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120730160247/http://www.dtloco.com/english/home.htm |date=30 July 2012 }}. Dtloco.com. Retrieved on 25 February 2014.
• Shanxi Diesel Engine Industries Corporation, Ltd, CNGChttp://www.shanxi-engine.com.cn {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050210092719/http://www.shanxi-engine.com.cn/ |date=10 February 2005 }}
• Shanxi Synthetic Rubber Group Co., Ltd, CNCC{{cite web |url=http://www.china-bluestar.com/en/kggs/index.asp?infotypeid=287&Moduleid=17&MenuOn=1 |title= ChinaBlueStar|website=www.china-bluestar.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417180439/http://www.china-bluestar.com/en/kggs/index.asp?infotypeid=287&Moduleid=17&MenuOn=1 |archive-date=17 April 2009}}
• GD Power Datong No.2 Power Plant
• GD Power Datong Power Generation Co., Ltd{{cite web |url=http://www.cgdc.com.cn/en_no_use/en_index.html;jsessionid=383735F7395EFC2E258D97503756A92E |title= English-guodan|website=www.cgdc.com.cn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003123910/http://www.cgdc.com.cn/en_no_use/en_index.html%3Bjsessionid%3D383735F7395EFC2E258D97503756A92E |archive-date=3 October 2011}}
• Shanxi Datang International Yungang Co-generation Co., Ltd.[http://www.china-cdt.com/en/index.html Www.China-Cdt.Com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312084844/http://www.china-cdt.com/en/index.html |date=12 March 2008 }}. Www.China-Cdt.Com (29 December 2002). Retrieved on 25 February 2014.
• China National Heavy Duty Truck Group Datong Gear CO., LTD[http://www.dcgroup.com.cn/en/index.jsp china national heavy duty truck group datong gear co ltd]. Dcgroup.com.cn. Retrieved on 25 February 2014.

• China National Highway 109
• China National Highway 208
• G55 Erenhot–Guangzhou Expressway
• G5501 Datong Ring Expressway
• Datong railway station and Datong South railway station
• Datong Yungang Airport

• Datong University ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同大学}})

• Datong No.1 Middle School ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同市第一中学}})
• Datong No.2 Middle School ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同市第二中学}})
• Datong Railway No. 1 Middle School ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同市铁路第一中学}})
• Datong Locomotive Middle School ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同机车中学}})
• Datong No.3 Middle School ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同市第三中学}})
• BeiYue Middle School ({{lang|zh-Hans|北岳中学}})
• Datong Experimental Secondary School ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同市实验中学}})
• The No.1 Middle School of DCMG (Datong Coal Mine Group) ({{lang|zh|同煤一中}})
• Datong No.14 Elementary School ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同市第十四小学}})
• Datong No.18 Elementary School ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同市第十八小学}})
• Datong Experimental Elementary School ({{lang|zh-Hans|大同市实验小学}})

{{portal|China}}

• List of twin towns and sister cities in China
• Jumenbu
• Datonglong

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{citation |last=Xiong |first=Victor Cunrui |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UD8Nvn7Ca18C |title=Historical Dictionary of Medieval China |series=Historical Dictionaries of Ancient Civilizations and Historical Eras, No. 19 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |location=Lanham |date=2009 |isbn=9780810860537 }}.

{{refend}}

• Cotterell, Arthur (2008). The Imperial Capitals of China: An Inside View of the Celestial Empire. Pimlico, London. {{ISBN|978-1-84595-010-1}}.

{{Commons category|Datong}}

• [https://www.idfa.nl/en/film/938467d3-43c5-4839-8734-678b3922363d/the-chinese-mayor The Chinese Mayor] (documentary) on website International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) free to watch as embedded video (hosted on VIMEO)
• {{wikivoyage inline|Datong (City)}}
• {{Official website|http://www.dt.gov.cn/ Datong}}

{{Shanxi topics}}

{{Shanxi}}

{{Prefectural-level divisions of the People's Republic of China}}

{{Metropolitan cities of the People's Republic of China}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Shanxi

Category:Prefecture-level divisions of Shanxi

Category:National Famous Historical and Cultural City