Datong, Shanxi Province

First stop, Datong, a city in the North of Shanxi Province. The old historic centre is being completely renovated (e.g.= completely rebuilt with old style buildings).

the 3 'Datongs': left the really old houses, being demolished, then the new "old Datong", the 1980s-90s buildings

Yungang Caves-  Buddhist caves dating from the 6th century (AD) and carved by the Tuoba people, Turkic-speaking nomadic tribes, converted to Buddhism. A brand new visitor centre welcomes tourists but fails to hide what Datong is mostly famous for in China: its heavy polluting coal mines and industry.

one of the more than 50,000 statues in Yungang

Datong City:

Datong's rebuilt centre- cold and empty

Huayan Temple, and a church nearby- Huayan temple is built on a East-West axis, unlike other Buddhist temples (N-S axis) - historians think the ethnic minority who built it were sun-worshippers.

Nine Dragon Wall

the mosque

a crane partly hidden by a poster of the new Datong city centre

Beijing-Datong

After an excellent dinner (Guizhou cuisine) with Sun and his family, we take the night train at 11:30 PM- hard sleepers.

Beijing

We started Qing Ming Holiday (Pure Brightness) with 24 hours in Beijing.

Paper money for the dead (Qing Ming's tradition)

apple seller near Tianning Si (Guang'anmen Nanbinhe Lu)

Tianning Si- Temple of Heavenly Tranquility

Pagoda of Tianning Si - 13 stories, dates back from 5th century and rebuilt in 12th

Chinglish

What's authorised in that park then?

Road signpost

Colourful paper offerings near the Taoist Temple

Bridge in Baiyunguan (Temple of the White Cloud)- Taoist

worshippers burning incense

Poster in the temple: Taoism worship practice 101

more Qing Ming offerings

notice the bike carrying foam behind the taxi

Baita Si- Temple of the White Dagoba (Fuchenmen Nei Dajie)- Buddhist temple built by a Nepalese architect in Tibetan style in the 13th century

more prayer flags

shop in a hutong near Baita Si

more offerings for the dead: house, car, fridge...

sesame oil seller - hutong near Baita Si

street poster: patriotism, innovation, inclusiveness and virtue

"bing" or flat bread

a Beijing specialty - Dazhalan Jie

Qianmen Dajie pedestrian street

Qianmen Dajie