[part 2] Bataizi Bell Tower / 八台子大单巴

I already wrote about the lost Gothic church in Shanxi province near Datong during the winter and you can read about the history of this beautiful place in my first report here. But it was such a special place that I wanted to visit it again during the summer. Now that this is done, it deserves a new report.

Hiking along the Great Wall of loess

First of all, what was impossible to do during the winter was to follow the Great Wall in the Zuo Yun (左云) area as the weather was too cold and there was too much snow. On the contrary, on that very nice summer day, I could hike for 7 kilometers along the wall, from Weilucun (威鲁村).

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A beautiful landscape of fresh Loess soil, fresh grass and fresh air, Bataizi, July 2016
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Sunny landscape, Bataizi, July 2016
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Following the Great Wall path, Bataizi, July 2016
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Two shepperds and their cows, Bataizi, July 2016

Arriving to the lost church in Bataizi

The very interesting fact about this hike was that the church remained unseen for a very long time, as it is hidden by the complicated landscape of the Loess plateau. Only at the last moment, the ruins appeared. If you want to know more about the historical background of the place, you can read the first article about Bataizi church.

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Church view on Bataizi village, Bataizi, July 2016
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Inside the Bell Tower, Bataizi, July 2016
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Summer view on a Gothic church, Bataizi, July 2016
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The former size of the church, Bataizi, July 2016
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The Bell Tower, Bataizi, July 2016
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Lost church in a natural landscape, Bataizi, July 2016

During the summer, the landscape is very different but the ruined church remains peaceful. This place is quite unique in mainland China.

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Serenity, Bataizi, July 2016

If you are interested in other unexpected historical places in China, you can also admire the angels inside the tomb of the Lou family or the old Tsinghua Yuan Railway Station.

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