Dafo Temple (Chinese: 大佛寺) is a Buddhist temple in Zhangye (張掖), Gansu (甘肅) Province, China. The temple has had several names over the centuries, its present name of ‘Dafo’ (大佛) means ‘Great Buddha’.
The temple was built around the beginning of the 12th century, during the Western Xia (西夏; 1038–1227) period.
Dafo Temple is notable for its gigantic reclining Buddha statue made around 1100 during the Western Xia period, which is thirty-five metres long.
It is not allowed to take photos inside the temple, so Choumeizai can only show you guys the beautiful brick carvings outside the temples.
There is a small museum in Dafo Temple, showcasing some precious Buddhist relics found in Zhangye area.
In 1028, the Tangut people took over Zhangye and controlled the entirety of the Hexi Corridor (河西走廊). To strengthen their control, the Xia built temples and ordered the translation of the Buddhist scriptures.
There is a shopping street outside the temple, the whole street is flanked by green willows, even if you don’t like shopping, it is still worth taking a walk.
