The best of Datong in 96 hours

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Hanging Monastery [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Day two: Mountaineering

Just look at a map of Shanxi province and you will quickly notice that 75 percent of the territory is mountainous. Anyone with a fondness for mountains can have a great time here.

A popular site among tourists is Hengshan Mountain, one of China's Five Great Mountains and a Taoist site considered sacred since the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century- 256 BC).

When you enter the scenic spot, the smartest way to get a general overview of the mountain is to ride the cable car, which takes just 15 minutes to reach the summit. When you stand high on the mountain range, you can see many temples hidden in secret places, waiting for someone special to arrive.

The highlight of the mountaineering tour is a visit to the famous Hanging Temple, also known as Xuankong Temple, a structure more than 1,500 years old that defies gravity as it stretches across a stunning cliff, supported by oak crossbeams.

This engineering marvel was named by Time magazine as one of the world's top 10 most odd, dangerous buildings. You can hear the wooden floor creak as you enter the temple, making any visit a little scary but certainly unforgettable.