City Wall of Datong
The first dirt wall was built here during the state of the Northern Wei (386-534), where Datong was the capital, and was called Pingcheng (平城 - Píng chéng). A thousand years later, in 1372, the construction of the wall which image and outline have survived until nowadays was started by the General Xu Da (徐达 - Xú Dá), a friend of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder and the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Since the mid-19th century, the wall began to decline and collapse. By 2005, the wall came tumbling down; its total length was halved.![](01.jpg)
![](02.jpg)
![](61-city-wall.jpg)
↑ Click for detailed view ↑
![](30-east-gate-datong.jpg)
![](32-datong-city-wall-introduction.jpg)
![](33-ticket-price-info.jpg)
![](ticket-datong-city-wall.jpg)
![](34-datong-city-wall-entrance-stairs.jpg)
![](35-datong-city-wall-entrance-stairs.jpg)
![](36-datong-city-wall.jpg)
![](37-tower.jpg)
![](38-to-east.jpg)
![](39-south-wall-view-from-east.jpg)
![](40-south-wall-park.jpg)
![](41-south-wall-park.jpg)
![](42-south-east-corner-park.jpg)
![](43-south-city-wall-datong.jpg)
![](44-south-city-wall-datong.jpg)
![](22-south.jpg)
![](23-datong-city-wall-at-night.jpg)
![](24-datong-city-wall-curves.jpg)
![](45-south-city-wall-datong.jpg)
![](50-datong-city-wall-construction.jpg)
![](51-datong-city-wall-construction.jpg)
![](20-pod-snos.jpg)
![](52-datong-city-wall-construction.jpg)
![](53-datong-city-wall-construction.jpg)
![](60-city-wall.jpg)
↑ Click for detailed view ↑
![](maximus101-datong.jpg)
Excellent photo-report by the author of this photo Maxim Pakharenko, about what was the City Wall only 5 years ago and how the construction of the new wall began. See the link: http://maximus101.livejournal.com/42772.html
![](1-01-2008.jpg)
It's the same section of the wall, as in the photo above, but taken from the opposite side.
![](datong-map-2008-2016.gif)