Datong, at the Coalface of China Datong, located 300 km west of Beijing in Shanxi province, has a reputation for being one of the most polluted cities in China. Coal is its thing, and there’s no hiding it. Yet, perhaps undeservedly, it is also the guardian of two of northern China’s finest historic treasures. Datong The five-hour bus to Datong gives a basic impression of what is to come. Beside the highway lies the main railway towards Beijing, along which great locomotives heave an endless succession of trains, each a hundred carriages long. They are all carrying coal bound for the capital’s power stations. For Shanxi, feeding Beijing with coal really is akin to selling gummy bears to the fat kid at school. But you wouldn’t say Datong has reaped endless rewards from the relationship. While
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