Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple (Dafo Temple)

The Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple, also known as Dafo Temple, stands on Dafo Temple Road in Ganzhou District in the centre of Zhangye, Gansu, China. It was founded in 1098 under the Western Xia dynasty and is best known for a clay reclining Buddha about 34.5 metres long, said to be the largest indoor example of its kind in China. The Buddha lies on its right side in the Great Buddha Hall, with its head to the north and its feet to the south, and it is shown in a calm pose, as if entering nirvana. Visitors walk around the figure at floor level, looking up at the face, the hands and the folds of the robe, and the scale of the statue fills the hall. Behind and around the Buddha are painted figures of disciples and attendants, and the walls carry murals and wooden beams with decorative painting. Other buildings include a Buddhist Sutra Hall, which holds scriptures and carvings, and a pagoda in the grounds. The temple has also been used historically as a place to store scriptures and, in the Yuan period, as a site connected with the Mongol court. A visit usually takes about one hour, which makes the temple a convenient stop between other city sights. It is easy to reach on foot from the Drum Tower, or by taxi from the station for a few yuan. Admission is about 40 yuan, with a student price of about 20 yuan, and hours are roughly 8:30AM to 6:00PM. The temple is quietest on weekday mornings, while summer afternoons and national holidays bring tour groups. Photography rules vary, and visitors should follow signs inside the main hall, where flash is generally not permitted. Visitors should dress modestly and speak quietly, as the temple is a place of worship. The site pairs well with the Zhangye Danxia landscapes on a day or two in Zhangye.