Editing Datong (section)

==History==
[[File:Datong jiulongbi.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Nine-Dragon Wall]]]]
[[File:Datong bell tower.JPG|thumb|left|upright|The Drum Tower (鼓楼)]]
The area of present-day Datong was close to the [[ancient Chinese states|state]] of [[Dai (Spring and Autumn)|Dai]], which was conquered by the [[state of Zhao|Zhao]] clan of [[Chinese state of Jin|Jin]] in 457 BC. It was a frontier land between the agricultural Chinese and the nomads of the [[Great Steppe]]. The area was well known for its trade in [[horses in East Asian warfare|horses]].

The area of present-day Datong eventually came under the control of the [[Qin dynasty]], during which it was known as '''Pingcheng County''' (平城县) and formed part of the [[Qin dynasty|Qin]] [[Qin commanderies|commandery]] of [[Yanmen Commandery|Yanmen]].<ref>{{citation |last=Hou |first=Xiaorong |author-mask=Hou Xiaorong |script-title=zh:《秦代政区地理》 |trans-title=An Atlas of Qin-Era Administrative Divisions |date=2009 |publisher=Social Science Academic Press |location=Beijing }}. {{in lang|zh}}</ref> Pingcheng County continued under the [[Han dynasty]], which founded a site within present-day Datong in 200{{nbsp}}BC following its victory against the [[Xiongnu|Xiongnu nomads]] at the [[Battle of Baideng]]. Located near a pass to Inner Mongolia along the [[Great Wall of China|Great Wall]], Pingcheng blossomed under Han rule and became a stop-off point for camel caravans moving from China into Mongolia and beyond. It was sacked at the end of the [[Eastern Han dynasty|Eastern Han]]. Pingcheng became the capital of the Xianbei-founded [[Northern Wei]] dynasty from AD{{nbsp}}398–494. The [[Yungang Grottoes]] were constructed during the later part of this period (460–494). During the mid to late 520s, Pingcheng was the seat of Northern Wei's [[Dai Commandery]].<ref name=daijun>{{harvp|Xiong|2009|loc=s.v. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=UD8Nvn7Ca18C&pg=PA106 Daijun]"}}.</ref> During the [[Tang dynasty]], Datong became the seat of the Tang prefecture of '''Yunzhou''', and the original Guandi temple was built.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guandi Temple, Datong |url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/china/datong/da06.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.art-and-archaeology.com}}</ref><ref name="britannica.com">{{Cite web |title=Datong {{!}} China {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Datong |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

The city was renamed Datong in 1048. It was the '''Xijing''' ("Western Capital") of the [[Jurchens|Jurchen]] [[Jin dynasty (1115-1234)|Jin dynasty]] prior to being sacked by the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]]. Datong later came under the control of the [[Ming dynasty]], serving as an important Ming military stronghold against the Mongols to the north.<ref name="britannica.com"/> During the Ming period, many of Datong's notable historical structures such as the Drum Tower and the Nine-Dragon Wall were built.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drum Tower, Datong |url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/china/datong/da01.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.art-and-archaeology.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nine-Dragon Wall, Datong |url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/china/datong/da02.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.art-and-archaeology.com}}</ref> Datong was sacked again at the end of the Ming in 1649, but promptly rebuilt in 1652.

By 1982 a portion of its city walls remained so it became one of the [[List of National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities in China|National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities]] that year. Prior to 2008, about 100,000 people lived in the old city. In 2008 mayor Geng Yanbo decided to redevelop much of the inner city, with over {{convert|3|sqkm|sqmi}} being redeveloped, and with Geng becoming known as the "Demolition Mayor". Geng and his group anticipated that 30,000 to 50,000 people would remain in the old city.

In 2013 Geng left his position. Su Jiede of ''[[Sixth Tone]]'' wrote that much of the city was still under construction at the time and that Geng's efforts resulted in "a half-finished city center and a complicated legacy" and that "To critics, the city had spent enormous sums of money without much to show for it."<ref name=SuJiedeSixthToneMakeover>{{cite web|last=Su|first=Jiede|url=https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1006277/In%20Datong,%20a%20Crumbling%20Legacy%20of%20China’s%20Most%20Extreme%20Urban%20Makeover|title=In Datong, a Crumbling Legacy of China's Most Extreme Urban Makeover|date=2020-10-10|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> By 2020 the population of the old city was below 30,000 and there were fewer governmental facilities available for the residents. That year Su stated that the old city "still presents a headache for the local government."<ref name=SuJiedeSixthToneMakeover/>