The best of Datong in 96 hours

Day three: Modern leisure

Datong's government has strived to build Yudong New District since 2009 through a series of important measures. For instance, most of the key schools and leading hospitals have relocated there to boost the area's growth.

In the future, when people visit Datong, they will see two sides of the city with distinct character -- the old town with historic significance and the new urban city with modern facilities.

To truly discover a city, we must not only experience its past, but gain some insight into its present and future.

At Datong, the city museum is a great place to visit during the day. Datong Museum was built in 1959 and its new pavilion opened in the Yudong New District in 2014.

Covering an area of more than 50,000 square meters, the museum houses a total collection of 70,000 cultural relics and architectural models, showing details of the exteriors and interiors of ancient buildings. The museum has miniature models on display, including Huayan Temple, Shanhua Temple from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and the Wood Tower of Ying County from the Liao Dynasty.