The industrial town of Datong lies in the north of Shanxi province on a plain which is shielded to the north and south by two sections of the Great Wall of China. There is a rail link between Datong and Beijing.
It seems probable that Datong was founded in the 5th C BC. From AD 3
98 to 495, when it was known as Pincheng, it was the seat of the Northern Wei dynasty. Many works of art which can now be seen in the Yungang Shiku Caves date from this period. Under the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) Datong became strategically important.
The considerable deposits of coal nearby have given Datong the name of the ''Coal Capital''; agricultural machinery is another important branch of industry here.
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