A church in a fortress along the Datong section of the Great Wall. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

The Datong bureau of culture and tourism has introduced three scenic driving routes centered around the Great Wall, connecting ancient fortresses, beacon towers, and cultural relics.

Flower sea - fortress leisure drive

This route includes the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) section of the Great Wall and a sea of summer roses. The Li'erkou section in Tianzhen county is known for its unusual layout, where north-south and east-west stretches of the Great Wall intersect, making it one of Shanxi's best-preserved and most scenic earthen sections.

The Datong Great Wall Museum offers an excellent resource for understanding the Great Wall. Shoukoubu in Yanggao county, an important pass of the Great Wall, boasts a 400-year history of apricot cultivation, covering over 200,000 mu (13,333 hectares) across the county.

The apricot cultural tourism season runs until October, with 15 popular spots along the route, where visitors can savor authentic farmhouse cuisine, including oat noodles and lamb soup.

Majestic fortresses

This route highlights the Ming Dynasty military defense system and the fusion of Eastern and Western cultural landscapes. The Desheng fortress group in Xinrong district is well-preserved, with the main street retaining remnants of ancient shops, traditional residences, and old opera stages from the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Visitors can enjoy the rare sight of the Great Wall alongside the Gothic church bell tower in the fortress, and the zone's cool climate offers a pleasant escape, with unique homestays and hot spring resorts enhancing the experience.

Inner and outer Great Wall

This route connects the inner and outer Great Walls of Datong, linking Great Wall relics, red tourism sites, and mountain scenery across six districts and counties.

It spans relics from the Han (206 BC-220), Northern Wei (386-534), and Northern Qi (550-577) Great Walls, enabling visitors to compare different architectural styles across dynasties.

A pass runs through Hunyuan county along the Great Wall. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]