Datong Nine-Dragon Screen Wall

The Datong Nine-Dragon Screen Wall was built at the start of the Ming Dynasty (1368).45.5 meters long, 8 meters high, and 22 meters thick.As one of the three famous walls of this style in China, the Datong Nine-Dragon Wall is the oldest, largest, and most enchanting one.

The dragons on the wall were carved vividly.

The nine dragons, each playing with a pearl were carved in a very lifelike manner. Colorful paint has been applied to the carvings to bring the dragons to life vividly, as they would have been over 600 years ago.

Among the nine dragons, one heading to the front with imposing appearance is held in awe by other dragons. Patterns of mountains, rivers and trees fill the left,serving as a contrast to make the dragons stand out.

The whole wall was built on a 2-meter-high throne, on which are carved 41 patterns of “two dragons playing with a pearl”.

Many other lively animals were carved on the wall.

On the waist of the throne are 75 vitreous bricks, with cattle, horses, sheep, dogs, deer and rabbits reflecting the superb carving skill of ancient China.

It shows imperial status.

This nine-dragon wall was built for the 13th son of Zhu Yuanzhang(First Emperor of the Ming Dynasty) to satisfy his desire to be an emperor. However, the wall was carved with dragons of four talons, not five. That's because the five-talon dragon was a symbol of the emperor,while the recipient of the wall was a prince.

There are many streets, gates, and places with imperial names in Datong. For example, Huangcheng Street (‘Imperial City’ Street), Zhengdian Street (‘Main Hall’ Street), Donghua Gate (‘East China’ Gate), and so on. They all have ruins of imperial palaces.

How to Plan Your Visit

• Opening hours: 09: 00–17:00
• Recommended visiting time: 30 minutes
• How to get there: Travelers can take public bus 4 from Datong Railway Station to Nine Dragon Wall.

Tour Datong Your Way with Us

If you want to discover more about this cultural city, it would be good to have an experienced private tour guide. We can help you with that.

Here are our two most popular Datong itineraries for your inspiration:

• 4-Day Essence of Datong and Pingyao Tour— Explore more of China's historical sites
• 9-Day China Culture Relics Classic Tour—Tour more ancient cities in China

Discover More About Dragons on Your China Tour

The dragon has special meaning in Chinese culture. Traveling to experience the Dragon Boat Festival(in May/June)would be an impressive way to augment your China tour.

There are another two nine dragon walls in Beijing:

• One is in Beihai Park in Beijing, built in 1756.
• One is in front of Taiji Gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing, built in 1770.

A World Cultural Heritage Site, the Forbidden City is also steeped in dragon culture. Choose our One-day In-depth Beijing Forbidden City Heritage Discovery to take your time to discover more of the extravagant imperial life in China.

For a tailor-made Datong/Beijing/China tour, please do not hesitate to tell us your interests and requirements.