Datong is bordered by Inner Mongolia, an 8hrs trainride from Beijing towards the West. Known as the ‘City of the Coal’, it became a very important industrial city. This might hide some real great historical treasures : The Hanging Monastery and the 1,500-year-old Yungang Grottoes. More than 50 caves are filled with 51,000 Buddhist statues . The Yungang Grottoes are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The coaling industry covers the area with a light-influencing blanket; Colors are filtered before they reach the surface…