China Travel Forum

[Guest]

Hi,

I am deciding between stopping over in datong or luoyang to see the caves on my way from beijing to xian.
Can anyone advise which is better to see ? What are the differences ? In terms of convenience from the train stations to get to the caves, which is easier as i am short of time on my itenary.

[viaje]

Difficult answer!!!
Longmen grotoes are near Luoyang , you can take the local bus or get a taxi there. It is a very nice place with the main caves in one side of the river and another caves and the temples in the other.Many Budhas were destroyed during the Cultural revolution , nevertheless it is impressive the SaKyamuni statue and all the group of statues
The caves are not so near of Datong , but is really a good option as you can visit in the same day the Heng Shan hanging temple and then the Yungang caves. Both are very nice and interesting and the conservation has been quite good( The carving work in the caves is impressive ). The Chinese Tourist company ( I think ctt ) arrange the tour and if you are very short on time you may arrive in one night train and after the visit to take another night train to Xian
For the tourist agency in Datong do not worry as they will find you

You will enjoy the one you decide

[Philippe]

Both are very worth seeing.
Datong's Yungang Grottoes have more intricate carvings and brighter colours, but harder to photograph (if you want to do so) as most are still indoors and it's impossible to get good overview photos unless you have a fish-eye lens, a tripod and a camera which's excellent for low-light conditions without the use of flash.
Luoyang's Longmen Grottoes are more exposed to the elements, almost no colours but easier to photograph on a large scale.
Both are relatively easy to get to from the respective train stations.
If going in terms of accessibility I would pick Luoyang.