Datong, Shanxi Province
Datong was once the biggest builder of steam locomotives in China and that lies benind the reason why the city has signed a Friendship Agreement with Bury. Datong is 250 miles to the north west of Beijing and sits on the edge of the Mongolian desert between the inner and outer Great Walls. The administrative area of the city would stretch from Manchester to Birmingham if superimposed on a map of the UK. With a population of 3 million, of whom just over a million live in the urban area, Datong is a major producer of coal from deep mines, much of which is used to generate electricity both locally and transported out by rail to big power stations near Beijing.
Bury's links with Datong
Bury's links with Datong will focus on education, culture and business. Bury College is already developing connections with the new University of Datong and St Monica's High School is linked to No 3 Middle School in Datong.
Tourism
Datong is off the beaten track for most tourists but it has a rich history and boasts its own World Heritage site at the Yungang Grottoes. A short distance out of the city is the fabulous Hanging Monastery which literally clings to the side of a mountain.
More information on Yungang Grottoes
Go to the World Heritage Centre's Yungang Grottoes web page
Go to the Oriental Architecture Yungang Grottoes web page
How to contact us
Adrian Frost, Partnership and Investment Manager
Craig House, 5 Bank Street, Bury, BL9 0DN
Phone: 0161 253 5897
Email: economic.dev@bury.gov.uk
