Famous for its Yungang Grottoes, the city of Datong in Shanxi Province recently developed two new sightseeing features: volcanoes and mines.

Groups of volcanoes are distributed in the Datong region, known as China’s “coal sea.” More than 30 volcanoes lie in the eastern part of the Datong Basin and are divided into north, south, east and west sections. Visitors can enjoy the various styles of volcanoes.

Making full use of non-working mines, local authorities have developed underground tours. Tourists can see the whole process of digging coal and also can learn about the many extraction techniques used from ancient times to today. Visitors can also get to understand the hardships and dangers faced by miners.

(Beijing Review 05/10/2001)