Datong
Province
Datong (Chinese大同市, Pinyin shì Datong, W.-G. Ta -t'ung ) is a prefecture -level city in Shanxi Province, China with about 1.41 million inhabitants (2003) in an urban city center and another 1.57 million inhabitants in the surrounding circles. Datong is located about 300 kilometers west of Beijing to around 1,200 m above sea level. NN. and has an area of 14,176 square kilometers.
The city was founded as Pingcheng (平城) during the Han Dynasty and was during the Northern Wei Dynasty for nearly a century ( 398-494 ) capital. In 1048 the city was renamed in Datong ( = Large Unit), a name she has retained to this day.
Administrative Divisions
Datong is composed of four districts and seven counties:
- Municipality Chengqu (城区), the " downtown district ", 46 km ², approximately 580,000 inhabitants;
- Municipality Kuang (矿区), the " mining district ", 62 km ², 440,000 inhabitants;
- Municipality Nanjiao (南 郊区), the " Suedvorstadt ", 966 km ², 280,000 inhabitants;
- Municipality Xinrong (新 荣 区), 1006 km ², 110,000 inhabitants;
- Circle Yanggao (阳 高 县), 1678 km ², 290,000 inhabitants;
- Circle Tianzhen (天 镇 县), 1635 km ², 210,000 inhabitants;
- Circle Guangling (广 灵 县), 1283 km ², 180,000 inhabitants;
- Circle Lingqiu (灵丘 县), 2720 km ², 230,000 inhabitants;
- Hunyuan county (浑源 县), 1965 km ², 350,000 inhabitants;
- Circle Zuoyun (左云县), 1314 km ², 140,000 inhabitants;
- Datong District (大同 县), 1501 km ², approximately 170,000 inhabitants.
The old town project
Currently, an urban redevelopment of downtown is performed in the style of the Ming Dynasty of predominantly tourist- commercial reasons. The 6 billion euro project will particularly appeal to the financially strong Chinese middle class. The reconstruction is according to Western press reports, only an approximate. 40,000 poorer inhabitants of the old town seed off, in the new old center, which was deferred with a 2009 to 2012 built monumental city wall, arise luxury apartments The gentrification, with its backdrop of historicist architecture is already well advanced.
Other features
Datong is one of the most important centers of coal mining in China.
Datong is known primarily for the Yungang Grottoes (云冈 石窟, Pinyin Yun Gang shí kū ). Other attractions in Datong are the Nine -Dragon Wall, as well as the Upper and Lower Huayang monastery. In the wider area which is 80 kilometers away Hanging Monastery ( Xuankong Si) and the Wooden Pagoda in Ying county exists.
South of Datong is located at 39 ° 56 ' 34 "N, 113 ° 14' 52" O39.942777777778113.24777777778 a VLF transmitter of the Chinese Navy. The plant has the characteristic that four of the masts used as an inverted "V" look.