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Yungang Grottoes, Ordos

PreeChina · Sight Guide

Historic Architecture Near Ordos

8 sights within 291 km of Ordos. Pick the ones you want and PreeChina can build a private, custom or tailor-made tour around them.

8 sightsOrdosWithin 291 kmFrom USD 305 per person, 2 travelers

At a Glance

Quick Facts

City
Ordos
Sights
8 historic architecture sights
Range
142 to 291 km from the centre
Closest
Zhenbeitai Beacon Tower
Farthest
Yungang Grottoes
Length
Set in your private plan

Price

Price of This Private Tour

Per person, in US dollars. The price covers the guide, the ground service, and the transport, meals and tickets in the itinerary, and it falls as the group grows. This route is customized for the region, so the figures are a starting point. What a price includes and leaves out.

Estimated price per person for Historic Architecture Near Ordos, by number of travelers
Travelers246810152030
Day tripUSD 305USD 220USD 185USD 175USD 160USD 155USD 145USD 135

Premium hotels and first-class rail raise the price: the selectors on Private Tours show by how much. The final price is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.

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Why These Sights

Historic Architecture Within Reach of Ordos

8 historic architecture sights lie within 291 km of central Ordos, from Zhenbeitai Beacon Tower at 142 km to Yungang Grottoes at 291 km. They are: Zhenbeitai Beacon Tower, Piantou Pass, Wuta Temple (Five Pagoda Temple), Li Zicheng's Palace, Suiyuan General's Yamen, Shahukou Pass, Guangwu Great Wall, Yungang Grottoes.

This page lists the sights and how far each one sits from the city centre. It does not set a length for the trip: your private itinerary decides which sights to combine, the order and the number of days.

The Ordos city guide covers the city itself.

Map

Map of the Sights

The gold marker is central Ordos. Numbers run from the closest sight to the farthest.

Sight by Sight

The 8 Sights

50 to 150 km from Ordos

Zhenbeitai Beacon Tower, Fortification
1
Fortification

Zhenbeitai Beacon Tower (镇北台)

142 km from central Ordos, straight line

A four-tier square platform that narrows step by step, over thirty metres tall, and the largest surviving beacon platform along the Ming Great Wall. The market where Mongols and Han traded stood at its foot, so military works and trade sat in one place.

Piantou Pass, Pass
2
Pass

Piantou Pass (偏头关)

148 km from central Ordos, straight line

One of the three outer passes, where the Yellow River meets the Great Wall. It is one of the few places in China where the Great Wall runs into a river.

150 to 300 km from Ordos

Wuta Temple (Five Pagoda Temple), Pagoda
3
Pagoda

Wuta Temple (Five Pagoda Temple) (五塔寺)

207 km from central Ordos, straight line

Buddhist figures and scripture in Sanskrit, Tibetan and Mongolian cover the pagoda body. Behind it, a screen wall holds a stone star chart with Mongolian labels, about 270 constellations and over 1,500 stars, the only known ancient star chart labelled in Mongolian.

Li Zicheng's Palace, Historic Building
4
Historic Building

Li Zicheng's Palace (李自成行宫)

208 km from central Ordos, straight line

Li Zicheng came from Mizhi, and this group of halls built against the hillside is what he built in his home town after he proclaimed himself king. An opera tower, the Plum Blossom Pavilion and the main hall survive.

Suiyuan General's Yamen, Historic Building
5
Historic Building

Suiyuan General's Yamen (将军衙署)

210 km from central Ordos, straight line

The office and residence of the Qing garrison general, laid out in four courtyards. It is the best-preserved Qing frontier general's yamen in China.

Shahukou Pass, Pass
6
Pass

Shahukou Pass (杀虎口)

227 km from central Ordos, straight line

The Ming called it Shahukou (Tiger-Killing Pass) under another character, and the Qing changed it to the present name. It was a Great Wall pass and the main route for people from Shanxi and Shaanxi who went north to Inner Mongolia to make a living.

Guangwu Great Wall, Fortification
7
Fortification

Guangwu Great Wall (广武长城)

262 km from central Ordos, straight line

A well-preserved section of the Ming Great Wall that follows the ridge up and down, with dense watchtowers. A surviving crescent-shaped gateway, called the Moon Gate, was a signature shot for Great Wall photographers.

Yungang Grottoes, Heritage Site
8
Heritage Site

Yungang Grottoes (云冈石窟)

291 km from central Ordos, straight line

59,000 statues carved by a nomadic empire, the earliest major Buddhist grottoes in China, with Greek-Indian Gandhara style faces that show the Silk Road's artistic fusion.

Distances

Distance From Central Ordos

#SightTypeStraight line
1Zhenbeitai Beacon TowerFortification142 km
2Piantou PassPass148 km
3Wuta Temple (Five Pagoda Temple)Pagoda207 km
4Li Zicheng's PalaceHistoric Building208 km
5Suiyuan General's YamenHistoric Building210 km
6Shahukou PassPass227 km
7Guangwu Great WallFortification262 km
8Yungang GrottoesHeritage Site291 km

Straight-line distances from the centre of Ordos. Road and rail distances are longer.

Independent Travel

Visiting These Sights Independently

Arranging these 8 stops yourself keeps the budget lower. It also means booking each one and the transfers between them. Compare a private tour with independent travel, or ask PreeChina to plan it.

Custom Tour

Turn This Into a Private, Custom Tour

This route is a starting point: 1 day and 8 stops. PreeChina plans it as a private, tailor-made trip and changes the stops, the days and the pace to your group.

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Questions

FAQ

How many historic architecture sights are near Ordos?

This page lists 8, all within 291 km of central Ordos in a straight line.

Which sight is closest to Ordos?

Zhenbeitai Beacon Tower, at 142 km from the centre in a straight line.

How far is Yungang Grottoes from Ordos?

291 km in a straight line. The road distance is longer.

How many days do I need?

It depends on which sights you combine. Your private itinerary sets the number of days, the order and the pace with you.

Who is this route not a good fit for?

A traveler who cannot manage long transfers or limited facilities. This route runs through a remote region, so plan for long travel days and a slower pace.

Explore More

This route is in Inner Mongolia. The province page lists its city guides, themes, museums and other routes.

Related

Keep Exploring Ordos

Routes and day trips

Theme maps

Background reading

Plan a Trip Around These Sights

Tell us when you arrive in Ordos, who is travelling and how much time you have. We build the route around your group.

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