Datong Museum [Photo/dt.gov.cn]

A landmark of Datong city of Shanxi province, Datong Museum is the second largest historical museum in the province.

The museum, established in 1958, was formerly called the Datong City Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall. It was officially renamed the Datong Museum in 1963.

The theme of the museum is "Minhe Datong", which reflects the development process of ethnic integration, as well as political, economic, military, and cultural prosperity and promotion of harmonious coexistence of all ethnic groups.

The museum covers an area of 51,556 square meters, with a building area of 32,821 square meters. It currently holds over 70,000 items.

The relic collections are famous for highlighting the characteristics of northern minority culture and the military and religious culture of the border towns. In particular, the delicate cultural relics of the Northern Wei, Liao, and Jin dynasties enjoy a high reputation among tourists.

The collections from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) are the most famous and attractive. They show just how gorgeous Datong was as the capital during the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The collections include screen paintings of ceremonial troops, five wooden lacquer prints unearthed from the Sima Jinlong Tomb, the headstones of Song Shaozu's ancestors, Persian silver coins, Xianbei objects and accessories, and ceramic ware from the Northern Wei Dynasty. Of these items, the stone carvings unearthed from the Northern Wei architectural ruins are particularly rare among historical stone carvings.

Address:Taihe Road, Yudong New District, Datong city, Shanxi province

Opening hours: 9:00 am-5:00 pm (Last entry at 4:00 pm); closed Mondays

General admission: Free

Tel:(+86-352)2303518