About the history of Datong

Datong, a famous historical and cultural city in China

Datong, known as the "famous city outside the Great Wall", is located at the northernmost tip of Shanxi Province, between the inner and outer Great Walls. It is the second largest city in Shanxi City. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and Yuhe River, a tributary of Sanggan River, runs from north to south. For a long time, people’s understanding of Datong has been limited to the richness of the Coal City, the beauty of Yungang, and the majesty of Huayan Temple. In fact, as early as 1982, Datong City was among the first batch of 24 cities including Beijing and Chengde to be included in the " "China's Famous Historical and Cultural City" has become the only city in Shanxi to be included in the first batch. So, what kind of history and culture does the city of Datong carry that enables it to win this honor? ?

The first point is that Datong has a long history. To be precise, Datong has a history of more than two thousand years. Moreover, in this long history, it has built a capital once and served as a city. Accompanying the capital twice.

The second item is culture. Across the Juzhu Mountain (Yanmen Pass), our Taiyuan and southern Shanxi belong to the culture of the Yellow River Basin. To the north of the Juzhu Mountain, if I can barely say it, it is the Sangqian River Basin. Culture, then these two cultures are very different. What are the differences between these two cultures?

I think if you look at it this way, to the south of Juzhu Mountain is the agricultural economy and culture of the Central Plains, and to the north of Juzhu Mountain is the culture that combines nomadic culture with agricultural culture. Then the cultural characteristics of this place come out. , it is a characteristic of ethnic minority culture. It is precisely because ethnic minority culture brings characteristics to the culture of Datong. High cannot be considered high, but it has characteristics, and characteristics are valuable!

The third one is the capital. More than 80% of the first batch of historical and cultural cities were built as capitals, such as Xi'an, Luoyang, Beijing, and Nanjing. These were the capitals of several dynasties. And the time is also very ancient, especially Xi'an and Luoyang are ancient capitals. So Datong was the capital of only one dynasty, the Northern Wei Dynasty, and it was the period when the Northern and Southern Dynasties were divided. It was a capital in the north.

But to be precise, there is a history of ninety-seven and seventy-eight years. The capital was built in this place. During these ninety-seven and eight years, this capital city had a period of glory. This glorious situation was still There are not many documentary records, but through recent research, it is still considerable. The capital, the ruins, its history, and its culture make Datong one of the first batch of historical and cultural cities, and it is well deserved.

Datong was called Pingcheng and Yunzhong in ancient times, and was renamed Datong in the Liao Dynasty. Historically, this was an ancient battlefield where the Han people in the Central Plains and the nomads outside the Great Wall fought for the world. The special geographical location has created a history of wars and ethnic integration in Datong that lasted for thousands of years. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, King Wuling of Zhao abandoned the bulky chariot robes of the Han people here and promoted the lightweight Hu clothing for riding and shooting, thus achieving a generation of hegemony.

During the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang led his army to fight against the Xiongnu and was trapped in Baishan Mountain in Pingcheng for seven days and seven nights. Later, he used Chen Ping's strategy to bribe the Xiongnu Chanyu's wife, Yan, and was able to break through. This defeat in the war caused the Western Han Dynasty government to change its strategy towards the Xiongnu, and formed a peace treaty with the Xiongnu, which led to the legendary Zhaojun's departure from the fortress.

A historical city is always associated with some historical celebrities who are proud of the past and present. In 398 AD, Tuoba Gui, a Xianbei leader from deep in the grassland, unified the north and established the Northern Wei Dynasty, becoming the first ethnic minority dynasty in Chinese history to compete with the Han government in the south.

Pingcheng, the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty, is the northeastern part of today's Datong City. Until Emperor Xiaowen of Wei moved the capital to Luoyang, Pingcheng served as the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty for nearly a hundred years. After nearly a hundred years of painstaking efforts to "build palaces, build ancestral temples, and establish communities", Pingcheng became the political, military, economic and cultural center of the north at that time, writing the most glorious chapter in the history of Datong.

To this day, there are still remnants of the charm of the Northern Wei Dynasty in Datong, which are the "Yungang Grottoes" that have been listed as a world cultural heritage. The Yungang Grottoes are located at the foothills of Wuzhou Mountain, 16 kilometers west of Datong City. They are carved into the mountain and stretch for one kilometer from east to west. There are 53 existing caves and more than 50,000 stone statues. The most precious ones are the 16th to 20th caves, known as the "Tan Yao Five Caves" in the world. They were excavated by Tan Yao, a famous monk in the Northern Wei Dynasty, on the orders of Emperor Wencheng. They have a history of more than 1,500 years.

In 1995, archaeologists discovered the Mingtang ruins of the Northern Wei Dynasty in the southeast outside Datong City. This amazing discovery made people excited. Mingtang is the place where ancient emperors held court meetings, sacrifices, celebrations and other grand ceremonies. It is the carrier of etiquette culture. The Mingtang of the Northern Wei Dynasty is huge, three times the size of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It is a synthesis of the Confucianism of the Han Dynasty and the Wei and Jin Dynasties, with some innovations.

Mingtang culture is a major symbol of the maturity of Northern Wei culture. It leads today's people to pay homage to the cultural construction of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Moreover, the discovery of Mingtang became a coordinate point. From this, it can be accurately determined that the existing Datong City is the location of Pingcheng, the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Our Datong, the inner city of Pingcheng, has been almost 1,600 years from the time of the Northern Wei Dynasty to today. It has not moved anywhere and is all in this place. This is different from the previous times in China where we have learned to draw out from the capital city. of the eight ancient capitals.

During the Five Dynasties, Shi Jingtang of the later Jin Dynasty ceded the "Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun" to the Khitan people in order to become the "Emperor". Datong was thus placed under the Liao territory, thus sweeping away the decadence of the Tang Dynasty and entering a new period of prosperity. Over the next two hundred years, Datong became the capital of the Liao and Jin dynasties, and the "Xijing" beloved by the Khitans and Jurchens.

The literati of the past dynasties seemed to only be in love with the decadent, corrupt, and peaceful small dynasties of Zhao and Song Dynasties, while dismissing the powerful and prosperous Liao and Jin regimes. In fact, the Liao and Jin dynasties, which coexisted with the Southern Song Dynasty, not only had strong military strength and vast territory, but also inherited and created the high-spirited northern culture.

This unique multi-ethnic culture originated in Beijing, the capital of the country at that time. However, because Beijing was later established as the capital many times, it has long been difficult to find traces of it, but it has been completely preserved in Datong. Relics such as Huayan Temple, Shanhua Temple and Guanyin Hall located in the urban area of ??Datong vividly reflect the characteristics of Liao and Jin culture.

In particular, the Liao Dynasty statue of the toothy Bodhisattva in the Bojiajiao Hall of Huayan Temple is extremely unique in shape. Compared with the Song Dynasty maids who move their skirts and smile without showing their teeth, they are obviously two different styles of sculptures. The people of the Song Dynasty were too constrained by etiquette, and their inner beauty was more beautiful than their outer appearance; while the Khitan people were bold and free, with fragrant teeth, which was another expression of beauty.

Datong in the Ming Dynasty changed the culture of the capital The style of the city opened a new page as a military hub. When Zhu Yuanzhang led the Ming army to conquer Yuan Dadu, ending the Yuan Dynasty's rule across the country, the remnants of the Yuan army retreated to the Mongolian Plateau, severely weakened, but they still never forget the Central Plains. , posing a serious threat to the northern border of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty therefore attached great importance to the defense of the northern border and established nine defense towns in the north, known as Jiubian. Among them, the strategic location of Datong Town was particularly important. At that time, one-twelfth of the country's army was stationed here, and both Chengzu and Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty came here to conquer the country. It was known as the "Datong warriors in the world".

In 1952, the Ministry of Culture of the Central Committee hosted the ceremony. Survey and study of ancient buildings across the country. The Yanbei Ancient Building Survey Team headed by Mr. Luo Zhewen commented in the survey report: "Datong has many preserved monuments and cultural relics, which can be said to be the richest preserved monuments and cultural relics in the country. one of the cities. ”

It is these cultural relics that tell us about the ups and downs of Datong for more than two thousand years. A famous historical city embodies the essence and charm of one or several dynasties in history. Therefore, China There is a saying: the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties looked at Xi'an, the Song, Qi, Liang and Chen looked at Nanjing, the Qian, Yue, Zhao and Song Dynasties looked at Hangzhou, the Yan, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties looked at Beijing... So, it is a matter of course that the Northern Wei, Liao and Jin looked at Datong.

Datong City, one of the first batch of famous historical and cultural cities in China, has been known as the "Phoenix City" since ancient times. It was the first capital of the Tuoba clan in the Northern Wei Dynasty and the capital of the Liao and Jin dynasties. The Liao and Jin Dynasties were one city, and in the long historical process, many precious historical relics were left behind, forming a unique regional culture.

The entire layout of the ancient city of Datong is like a phoenix spreading its wings. The south gate is the head of the phoenix, the main city is the body of the phoenix, the north gate symbolizes the tail of the phoenix, and the east gate is the left wing, except that there is no west gate. Legend has it that a warrior shot off the right wing of the phoenix with his sword, so this color is unique. Feng is still unable to travel far away from home.

The history of nearly a hundred years of capital establishment in the Northern Wei Dynasty and the history of more than two hundred years of being the capital of the Liao and Jin Dynasties give Datong, a famous city outside the Great Wall, an extraordinary royal city. This magnanimity is not only reflected in the majesty of the Yungang Grottoes and the majesty and exquisiteness of Huayan Temple and Shanhua Temple, but also permeates the blood of the ancient city. The river that runs through Datong from north to south is called "Yuhe". This name has the flavor of a capital city and should have been around during the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Datong is known as the "City of Dragon Walls", with nine dragon walls still preserved. Among them, Datong Nine Dragon Wall is the most famous. Dragon wall is a special kind of building in ancient times. It is generally used as a screen wall for buildings. It is often built in front of palaces, palaces and temples. It can not only serve as a barrier for courtyard buildings, but also highlight the solemnity and magnificence of the building.

The Nine Dragon Wall in Datong is the largest Nine Dragon Wall in China, larger than the two Nine Dragon Walls in front of the Huangji Gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing and in Beihai Park. This Nine Dragon Wall was built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. It was the screen wall of Zhu Gui's mansion in the early Ming Dynasty. It is made of yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white and other colorful glazed components. It is majestic, dazzling and the icing on the cake of the ancient city of Datong.

Datong displays a history of civilization of more than two thousand years, integrates the culture of dozens of ancient ethnic groups, buries rich resources, and inherits ancient folk customs. Today, this historical and cultural city still exudes With lasting brilliance.

Extended information:

Datong, a municipality under the jurisdiction of Shanxi Province, is one of the first 24 national historical and cultural cities in China and one of the first 13 larger cities in China. One of China's nine ancient capitals, a national new energy demonstration city, China's outstanding tourism city, a national garden city?, a national dual-support model city, a national transportation hub city, China's sculpture capital, and one of China's top ten sports and leisure cities.

Datong is the provincial sub-central city of Shanxi Province and the second largest city in Shanxi Province. It is located in the center of the Datong Basin in northern Shanxi Province, at the junction of the three provinces of Shanxi, Hebei and Inner Mongolia, and on the northeastern edge of the Loess Plateau. It is actually the center of the entire Shanxi Province. It is the barrier, the gateway to the north, and the chokepoint of Shanxi, Hebei, and Inner Mongolia. It is a battleground for military strategists of all ages, and is known as the "Key to the North." ?

Datong was known as Yunzhong and Pingcheng in ancient times. It was the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the capital of the Liao and Jin Dynasties. There are many historical sites in the territory. The famous cultural relics include Yungang Grottoes, Huayan Temple, Shanhua Temple, Hengshan Xuankong Temple, Nine Dragon Wall etc. ?

Datong is one of China's largest coal energy bases, a national heavy chemical energy base, and the midpoint between the Shenfu and Zhungeer Emerging Energy Zones and the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan developed industrial zone. It is known as the "Phoenix City" and the "Coal Capital of China".

Evolution of District Development

On May 1, 1949, Datong was peacefully liberated. Datong City and its suburbs were established as Datong City, which is under the jurisdiction of Chahar Province. Datong City is divided into 5 districts.

In October 1949, East and West Yanbei merged and were placed under Chahar Province. A special Yanbei Office was set up. The counties included: Lingqiu, Guangling, Hunyuan, Yingxian, Shanyin, Datong, Huairen, Shuoxian, Pinglu, Youyu, Zuoyun.

In December 1952, Datong City administered the first, second, and third districts and the Kouquan Mining Area.

In July 1954, Datong County and Huairen County merged to form Daren County.

In June 1958, the city was affiliated to Yanbei District. On January 23, 1959, Yanbei and Xin County were merged into the Northern Shanxi Prefecture, and Datong City was affiliated to the Northern Shanxi Prefecture. Yanbei was merged into six counties: Yanggao, Hunyuan, Lingqiu, Zuoyun, Shanyin and Shuo.

On July 24, 1961, Shanbei District was revoked, and Datong City returned to the leadership of Yanbei District, with jurisdiction over the urban area, Kouquan District, Gucheng District, and Huairen District. In November of the same year, it was returned to the direct jurisdiction of Shanxi Province.

In 1962, Yanbei restored the establishment of 13 counties. In November 1964, Gucheng District and Huairen District were abolished, and Datong County and Huairen County were restored. The city governs two districts and two counties. In July 1965, Datong and Huairen counties were placed under the Yanbei Prefecture.

In February 1966, the agricultural areas under the jurisdiction of the urban area and Kouquan District were divided to form suburbs. Datong City has three districts under its jurisdiction.

In April 1970, Datong City was placed under the leadership of Yanbei. In September, a mining area was established. In October, the southern suburbs, northern suburbs and Kouquan Town were established.

In 1971, the northern suburbs were changed to Xinrong District.

In March 1972, it was restored as a provincial municipality, with jurisdiction over 4 districts: urban area, mining area, southern suburbs, and Xinrong District, 17 streets, 287 residents' committees, 22 townships, 5 towns, 252 production brigades, 1,125 production teams, and 351 natural villages.

In January 1989, Shuozhou City was established, and Pinglu, Shuo County, and Shanyin under the jurisdiction of Yanbei were placed under the jurisdiction of Shuozhou City.

On July 10, 1993, the Yanbei region was abolished and the prefectures and cities were merged. Huairen, Yingxian, and Youyu counties were placed under Shuozhou City, and Tianzhen, Yanggao, Guangling, and Lingqiu were included. The seven counties of Hunyuan, Zuoyun and Datong are planned and planned for Datong City, and the city governs the counties. Datong City governs 4 districts and 7 counties: urban area, mining area, southern suburbs, and Xinrong District.

On February 9, 2018, the State Council approved the abolition of the urban area, southern suburbs, and mining areas of Datong City, and the establishment of Pingcheng District and Yungang District of Datong City, and agreed to place Gudian Town in the southern suburbs under the jurisdiction of Xinrong District , agreed to abolish Datong County and establish Yunzhou District of Datong City. After the zoning change, Datong City governed 4 municipal districts and 6 counties.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Datong