Atlas of China
Beijing to Datong 北京 – 大同
Door to door, the high-speed train comes out ahead: about 2 hours, counting about 20 minutes to board a train and 2½ hours of airport time for a flight. A standard-class seat is ¥157. The stations are in or near the city centres, which is what tips it.
| Way | Time | Door to door | Fare | A day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-speed trainQinghe 清河 → Datong South 大同南 | 1 h 45 minG2509, fastest | 2 hours | ¥157standard class | 4807:04–23:58 |
| By road359 km, estimated | 6 h 50 min | 7 hours |
By train
48 direct high-speed trains a day run from Qinghe to Datong South, between 07:04 and 23:58. The fastest, G2509, takes 1 h 45 min, and a standard-class seat is ¥157. Coming back, 48 trains a day, the fastest 1 h 37 min (G2540, 07:00 to 22:59).
Beijing: Several main stations: South (Shanghai), West (Xi'an, Wuhan), Chaoyang (north-east) and North or Qinghe (Datong, Hohhot); flights use Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX).
By air
No nonstop flights.
By road
Roughly 359 km by road and about 7 hours of driving, estimated from the distance.
At the other end
Featured places around Datong.
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Yungang Grottoes 云冈石窟
Giant Buddhas carved into a sandstone cliff some 1,500 years ago
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Datong Ancient City 大同古城
Rebuilt Ming ramparts around genuine Liao–Jin temple halls and a glazed dragon screen
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Yingxian Wooden Pagoda 应县木塔
A Liao-dynasty timber pagoda of 1056, five storeys outside and nine within
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Hanging Temple 悬空寺
A wooden temple pinned to a sheer cliff, seemingly propped up on stilts
Around Beijing: Forbidden City, Ming Tombs, Summer Palace, Fragrant Hills Park, Universal Beijing Resort.
On the map
Open either city on the illustrated map, or put both in a trip and let the planner lay out the days and the legs between them, with the same tables these numbers come from.
Book
About Beijing · About Datong · Where Beijing reaches in a day · All routes
Trains are every direct train on 2026-10-28 or 2026-11-11 in the 12306 timetable, with standard-class fares; one weekday, so weekend and holiday services differ, and the fastest train may not run every day. Flights are the airlines' schedules for 2026-10-28, plus routes Wikipedia lists for small airports. Drives are routed on OpenStreetMap roads (extract of 2026-10-21) where the pair was routed, else estimated from the distance. Door-to-door times add about 20 minutes to board a train and 2½ hours of airport time to a flight. How to book is in the guide to trains and 12306; the rail times are open data on the data page.