Hanging Monastery stands at the foot of Mt. Hengshan, 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Hunyuan County, and 65 kilometers (40 miles) from downtown Datong City. It is called hanging Monastery because of its precarious placement on steep cliffs above a canyon. It dates back more than 1400 years and was built in harmony with the natural outcrops and hollows of the cliffs. Buildings are connected with corridors, bridges, and boardwalks. Bronze, iron, and stone statues of gods and Buddhas can be seen throughout. The most notable of these buildings is the Hall of Three Religions, where Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are venerated together.

Hengshan, is one of China's five Sacred Mountains of Taoism. The. Hanging Monastery, which is called the wonder of the Hengshan Mountain, is suspended half way up the cliff in the Golden Dragon Valley at the foot of the mountain. The Monk Liaoran of Northen Wei Dynasty built the Monastery. Hanging over the cliff stand over 40 halls and towers side by side.

Why was the Hanging Monastery built over the high cliff? In former times this was the main route to the Wutai Mountain (Famous Buddhist Shrine) in the south and to Datong City in the North. The monastery built along this route was, of course, very convenient for passing pilgrims. However, Hunhe River, which then flowed past the foot of the cliff, was capricious; whenever there was a storm there would be a terrible flood. In those days, people believed that a Golden Dragon was the cause of all this trouble, so they thought of enlisting Buddha's aid and built the temple up here to ward off the influence of the legendary beast.

In the city of Datong, a secondary capital under both Liao ( 907-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) two important temples stand side by side: Lower Huayan Temple was completed in 1038 under the Liao and still virtually intact, and Upper Huayan Temple, rebuilt after a fire in 1140, although the five great Buddhas were remade in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the frescoes repainted late in the nineteenth century.

Huanyan temple shows the artistic style of the Liao and Jin dynasties. Its construction broke the rule of facing south, as it faces east. According to the story of Khitan of the five dynasties, three thousand li north of youzhou, there is a town called Xilouyi where all the houses face east. Khitans regarded east as superior and prayed to the east on the first day of every lunar month. It was following this rule that Huanyan Temple was built. The Daxiong hall of the temple is the main hall of the temple and is also one of the biggest in china, covering an area of 1559 square meters. The hall is splendid inside; five stately and golden Buddhas sit on the altar. On the walls inside the hall there are murals about the story of reaching nine times in seven different places. The patterns of the embellished ceiling are different from one another and are magically beautiful.

Yungang Grottoes, a world-famous treasure-house of arts and culture, is located at the foot of Wuzhou Mountain, 16 km west of Datong. It is one of China's largest grottoes.

Yungang Grottoes were carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty, under the charge of a Buddhist monk named Tan Yao, as ordered by the emperor. The grottoes extend one kilometre from east to west and consist of a series of 53 caves. There are 1,100 niches with about 51, 000 statues, the largest 17 meters high and the smallest two centimeters. Not only do the caves contain some of the oldest examples of stone sculpture to be seen in China, but one can see many foreign influences as well: Persian and Byzantine weapons, Greek tridents, and images of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva. Bodhisattvas, dragons, and flying celestial beings represent the Chinese style.

There is a number of Buddhist statues and decorative frescos in the Grottoes. One seventeen-meter Buddha with downcast eyes seems to gaze with penetrating insight into the human heart as it wavers between good and evil. An extremely rare statue of Shiva with eight arms and four heads is riding on a bull. Many of the carvings combine traditional Chinese art forms with foreign influences to create a unique style.

Located in Yingxian County, and about 70 kilometers south of Datong, the Wooden Pagoda is the oldest and highest wooden structure in China. It is one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world and so is regarded as the 'First Pagoda in the World' and a gem in the architectural field. It has now also been placed under national emphases under the Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda-the world's oldest and tallest wooden pagoda was first built in 1056 in the Liao Dynasty (907-1125). It has become fragile after weathering climatic chages, numerous earthquakes and cannon attacks. Technicians repaired it. The elevated platform has been built for visitors to have a close look at the pagoda known as the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is not only the tallest but also the oldest existing wooden pagoda in the world. It is one of the few surviving examples of a major Song Dynasty pagoda, rich in detail, dynamic in bracketing, and noble in proportion. The pagoda is 115 years older and 12.57 metres taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy (the Leaning Tower of Pisa stands 54.56 metres tall). A panel of experts was sent to examine the pagoda in 2000. They said the building was on the verge of being destroyed by strong winds or an earthquake. The Chinese Government is determined to save the pagoda at all costs.

In 2001, hoping to save the world's oldest and tallest wooden pagoda, the State Administration of Culture Heritage called for ideas from both domestic and overseas experts. The administration had three possible repair plans to prevent the collapse of the pagoda, but authorities seeked more suggestions or help before deciding on a plan of action. The repair plan of choice was selected in 2002 and was funded by the State Council. Earthquakes, winds, precipitation and its own 5,700-ton weight have taxed the building since its construction in 1056. Column heads and ridge beams were twisted and broken. More than 50 famous experts were invited to the site and discussed how to repair it while preserving its original appearance. The administration has invested more than 8 million yuan (US$965,000) in researching the problem.

A group of more than 40 experts on architecture and historical relics protection gathered together in early June 2002 in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, to appraise the renovation project on the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. The Pagoda, which was built in the 11th century, is an absolute wooden structure that does not have a single nail. As one of the oldest and largest wooden structures in the world, the 97-metre high wooden pagoda is a wonder in architecture history. These experts, seven of whom are academicians at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, have come up with a scheme of renovation based on four plans after the three-day workshop.

Yanmenguan Pass is located on Yanmen Mountain, northwest of Dai County, Shanxi province. Yanmenguan Pass is one of the Outer Three Passes (the other two are Ningwuguan Pass and Pianguan Pass) along the Great Wall.

The pass is located on the summit of a hill, accessible only by an ancient trail that winds its way up between cliffs. Originally built in the Tang dynasty (618-907) and rebuilt under the Ming (1368-1644), it was well known for its strategic importance. In 1374 during the Ming dynasty, Ji'an Marquis Lu Heng moved Yanmenguan Pass several kilometers to the north, and built a new pass city at the present place. The castle of the Yanmenguan Pass measures 1 kilometer in circumference, with the brick-and-stone wall rising 6 meters. There used to be a gate on the east, west and north. Today, however, people can only see a pair of stone lions, a couple of flag posts and a few stone steles apart from the remains of the arched gates.