Tongli Hotel
No.18 Yingbin East Road, Kuang District, Datong, Shanxi, 037008, China
More about Datong
Photos
Yungang Caves
This is the view from our "3 star" hotel room
Snowy Datong
One of 50.000 Buddha Statues of the Yungang Caves
Forum Posts
yungang caves in datong vs longmen grottoes in luoyang
by kyhar
Hi,
I am deciding between stopping over in datong or luoyang to see the caves on my way from beijing to xian.
Can anyone advise which is better to see ? What are the differences ? In terms of convenience from the train stations to get to the caves, which is easier as i am short of time on my itenary.
thanks
Re: yungang caves in datong vs longmen grottoes in luoyang
by elpariente
Difficult answer!!!
Longmen grotoes are near Luoyang , you can take the local bus or get a taxi there. It is a very nice place with the main caves in one side of the river and another caves and the temples in the other.Many Budhas were destroyed during the Cultural revolution , nevertheless it is impressive the SaKyamuni statue and all the group of statues
The caves are not so near of Datong , but is really a good option as you can visit in the same day the Heng Shan hanging temple and then the Yungang caves. Both are very nice and interesting and the conservation has been quite good( The carving work in the caves is impressive ). The Chinese Tourist company ( I think ctt ) arrange the tour and if you are very short on time you may arrive in one night train and after the visit to take another night train to Xian
For the tourist agency in Datong do not worry as they will find you
You will enjoy the one you decide
Buen viaje !!!
Re: yungang caves in datong vs longmen grottoes in luoyang
by jasmine_ding
If your question is choosing one of definations from Datong and Luoyang, I suggest Luoyang. It's more convinent to get to Luoyang, then come to Xi'an, and it's cleaner then Datong.
Re: yungang caves in datong vs longmen grottoes in luoyang
by ellyse
Both are very worth seeing.
Datong's Yungang Grottoes have more intricate carvings and brighter colours, but harder to photograph (if you want to do so) as most are still indoors and it's impossible to get good overview photos unless you have a fish-eye lens, a tripod and a camera which's excellent for low-light conditions without the use of flash.
Luoyang's Longmen Grottoes are more exposed to the elements, almost no colours but easier to photograph on a large scale.
Both are relatively easy to get to from the respective train stations.
If going in terms of accessibility (ie coming from Beijing and moving on to Xi'an) I would pick Luoyang.
Re: yungang caves in datong vs longmen grottoes in luoyang
by elpariente
If you want some information , I have added some Datong Tips
Travel Tips for Datong
2 Cuevas de-Yungang-Caves-De/From 7cm a/to 17m
by elpariente
Hay una gran variedad de figuras talladas , que no son sólo Budas , sino que también hay Bodhisattvas , discípulos que han renunciado al nirvana para salvar a otros , Arhats , Apsaras , Guerreros... y lo curioso es la gran variedad ya que pueden ser de unos pocos centímetros o bien de más de 17 metros de alto
Una de las cosas que más te impresiona y te gusta de las cuevas es el color de los techos y las paredes , que a pesar de los años y de la polución que existe en esta zona por las minas de carbón , se ha conservado mostrando una gran riqueza de matices y tonalidades
Nota : no es fácil hacer fotos en la cueva por la falta de luz y por lo reducido desus dimensiones
There are a great variety of carved figures, which are not only Buddhas, but there are also Bodhisattvas, disciples who have renounced to nirvana to save other people , Arhats, Apsaras, Warriors ... And the curious is the variety as they can be of a few centimetres to more than 17 meters high
One of the things that most impresses you and you like in the caves is the colour of the paintings in the walls and ceilings , that despite of the years and the pollution ,that exists in this area for the coal mines ,it has been preserved and its very rich in tones and shades
Note: It is not easy to make pictures in the cave by the lack of light and by they reduced dimensions
Datong
by sachara
We visited Datong on our way from Mongolia to Labrang. Datong was the first Chinese town I visited.
Datong was a good starting point for our visits to the Yungang Caves, the Hanging Monastery and the Wooden Pagoda outside town. So we didn't spend much time in the town itself . Walking from the hotel to the busstation and back., I enjoyed the streetscenes, the bikes, the charts, the streetvendors, the people just sitting in front of their houses.
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