Dafo Temple, Buddhist temple in Zhangye, China
Dafo Temple is a Buddhist shrine featuring a reclining Buddha statue 34 meters long, housed in its own dedicated hall within the complex. Multiple prayer halls and structures throughout the site display intricate wooden carvings and traditional Chinese architectural details.
The temple was founded between 557 and 581 during the Northern Zhou Dynasty. It later received protection status as a Major Historical and Cultural Site at the national level due to its importance in Chinese Buddhist history.
The temple serves as a working space where monks carry out daily practices and visitors can observe the rhythms of Buddhist life up close. The halls feel devoted to contemplation, and you sense how this place remains central to the spiritual life of the community.
Visitors should remove their shoes before entering the temple grounds and maintain silence in prayer areas to respect the space. Following basic Buddhist customs and listening to any guidance from monks ensures you experience the temple respectfully and fully.
The reclining Buddha statue ranks among the largest indoor examples in China, built with specific architectural features designed to protect and preserve it. This combination of scale and preservation engineering makes it a remarkable achievement in temple design.
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