Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple

张掖大佛寺

An imperial Western Xia temple housing China’s largest indoor reclining Buddha of wood-core clay sculpture (34.5 m long), and the cultural heart of Zhangye city.

Dafo Temple (Giant Buddha Temple) sits in the center of Zhangye city. Founded in 1098, in the first year of the Yong’an era of the Western Xia, it was originally named the Kashyapa Tathagata Temple and served as an imperial temple of the Western Xia. Legend says Kublai Khan, the Yuan Shizu Emperor, was born here, and Marco Polo is also said to have visited. The reclining Buddha in the Great Buddha Hall depicts Shakyamuni at parinirvana. It is 34.5 m long, with shoulders 7.5 m wide, and is the largest surviving indoor reclining Buddha of wood-core clay sculpture in China. One of its fingers is large enough for a person to lie on, and its ear can seat several people. Behind the reclining Buddha stand statues of the Ten Great Disciples. The hall’s murals include scenes from “Journey to the West,” predating Wu Cheng’en’s novel. The temple also houses a Sutra Library, which holds Buddhist scriptures including the Great Prajna Paramita Sutra written in gold and silver during the Ming dynasty, an Earthen Pagoda (a bowl-shaped stupa from the Yuan dynasty), and an exhibition of Zhangye historical relics. Admission costs about RMB 40. A visit takes 1 to 1.5 hours, and you can request a guide. Dafo Temple is right in the city center, within walking distance of the Bell and Drum Towers, Ganzhou Market (Zhangye’s snack night market, known for cuo yuzi hand-rolled noodle flakes, chaopao stir-fried dish, and beef rice), and the Wood Pagoda Temple. It suits an arrival-day visit or a half-day before departure. Notes: the Great Hall is dimly lit and photography is prohibited. In peak season, check closure and maintenance notices in advance.

Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple

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