Atlas of China
Pingyao to Datong 平遥 – 大同
Door to door, the high-speed train comes out ahead: about 2½ hours, counting about 20 minutes to board a train and 2½ hours of airport time for a flight. A standard-class seat is ¥153. The stations are in or near the city centres, which is what tips it.
| Way | Time | Door to door | Fare | A day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-speed trainPingyao Gucheng 平遥古城 → Datong South 大同南 | 2 h 14 minG2456, fastest | 2½ hours | ¥153standard class | 1008:11–21:03 |
By train
10 direct high-speed trains a day run from Pingyao Gucheng to Datong South, between 08:11 and 21:03. The fastest, G2456, takes 2 h 14 min, and a standard-class seat is ¥153. Coming back, 10 trains a day, the fastest 2 h 28 min (D1037, 06:20 to 18:46).
Pingyao: No airport: Taiyuan South is under an hour away by high-speed train.
By air
No nonstop flights.
Stops on the way
Cities between the two with direct trains from Pingyao and on to Datong, so the trip can be broken there.
- Taiyuan 太原 80 km from Pingyao · 31 min there, 1 h 23 min on
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 Pingyao in Jinzhong: Pingyao Ancient City, Qiao Family Compound, Mount Mian, Wang Family Compound, Shuanglin Temple.
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
Jinzhong, with Pingyao · About Datong · 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.