Datong City, formerly known as Yunzhong, Pingcheng, and Yunzhou, also known as the Coal Capital of China. A prefecture level city under the jurisdiction of Shanxi Province, China, a type II large city, and one of the central cities and important comprehensive energy bases in the border area of Shanxi, Hebei, and Mongolia approved by the State Council. As of 2022, the city has 4 districts and 6 counties under its jurisdiction, with a total area of 14176 square kilometers, a permanent population of 3.1 million, an urban population of 2.285 million, and an urbanization rate of 73.7%.
Datong City is a regional key city and a provincial sub center city, with geographical coordinates located at 39 ° 54 ′ -40 ° 44 ′ N latitude and 112 ° 06 ′ -114 ° 33 ′ E longitude. Datong City is located in the North China region, at the center of the Datong Basin in northern Shanxi, at the border of the three provinces of Shanxi, Hebei, and Mongolia, and in the northeast of the Loess Plateau. It is the barrier of the entire Jin Dynasty, the gateway to the north, and the throat of Jin, Hebei, and Mongolia. It borders Ulanqab in Inner Mongolia across the Great Wall to the north and has been a strategic location for military strategists throughout history. It is known as the "key to the north".