The "15th Five-Year Plan" for Building a Leading Tourism Nation Issued
Datong Listed as a National Key Tourism City
Recently, with the approval of the State Council, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism officially issued the "15th Five-Year Plan" for Building a Leading Tourism Nation, establishing a new national three-tier tourism development framework of "Hubs - Key Cities - Featured Destinations." Datong has successfully joined the ranks of National Key Tourism Cities, integrating itself into the top-level national blueprint for building a leading tourism nation.
According to reports, this national Plan focuses on the overall high-quality development of cultural tourism across the country, scientifically classifying urban functional tiers. Datong, alongside other well-known domestic cultural tourism cities like Chengde, Luoyang, Guilin, and Dali, has been included in the National Key Tourism Cities matrix. This powerful endorsement from a national strategy highly validates the results of Datong’s cultural tourism transformation, injecting fresh momentum into the city's goal to become an internationally renowned cultural tourism destination.
As an ancient capital, Datong enjoys a superior geographical location and a magnificent historical culture. It is one of the few cultural tourism hub cities in northern China that brings together deep historical roots, grand frontier scenery, and an excellent ecological environment. With an average summer temperature of 21°C and fresh air, it serves as a natural summer retreat and wellness destination in North China, boasting unique advantages for developing region-wide, all-season, and round-the-clock tourism. The city currently has one 5A-level, 12 4A-level, and 25 3A-level tourist attractions, building a modern cultural tourism ecosystem led by the Yungang Grottoes (a World Cultural Heritage site) and supported by five core resources: the Hanging Temple on Mount Heng, the Ancient City of Datong, the Ming Great Wall, and the volcanic clusters. This framework drives coordinated and progressive development across various featured attractions in counties and districts.
In recent years, Datong has continuously promoted the quality upgrade and expansion of its region-wide tourism, achieving a qualitative transition from scattered hotspots to interconnected, region-wide growth. By integrating culture and tourism, the city has deeply explored the core of its ancient capital culture, continuously restored the fabric of the ancient city, revitalized historic districts, passed down intangible cultural heritage, and shared the stories of the ancient capital. Datong constantly introduces new business formats and expands into new scenes, ranging from ancient city night tours, cultural and creative products, and immersive live performances, to ecological wellness, rural micro-vacations, daylily-themed cultural tourism, and year-round rural leisure activities. Based on its new strategic position in the "15th Five-Year Plan," Datong is actively aligning with national directives, anchoring its goals on building an internationally renowned cultural tourism destination, and fully embarking on a new journey to upgrade its high-quality cultural tourism industry.
