Explore Zhangye local highlights on 8-hour private tour

The Dafo Temple or Great Buddha Temple is a Buddhist temple in Zhangye, Gansu, China, notable for its gigantic reclining Buddha statue made around 1100 during the Western Xia period, which is thirty-five metres long. After a restoration project in 2005–06, the Temple now attracts thousands of visitors. It has had several names over the centuries, including the "Kasyapa Buddha Temple", the "Bojue Temple", the "Hongren Temple", and the "Reclining Buddha Temple". The present name of "Dafo" means "Great Buddha".

Mati Si (Horse’s Hoof Temple) is a group of Buddha grottoes located in the Linsong Mountain in the Gansu Province. Thousands of grottoes are grouped together in seven clusters, and each group of grottoes is no more than a mile or so from another. Human-made tunnels link the various grottoes.The history of Mati Si is so ancient that it is shrouded in mystery and legends. Legend has it that Long Ma (a winged horse with dragon scales in Chinese mythology) descended from the heavens and left a hoof print on the place where the temple was established.

Located in the middle of Hexi Corridor, Zhangye City dominates one area and five counties: Ganzhou Area, Linze, Gaotai, Shandan, Minle and Su’nan counties. It’s an excellent tourism city of China and national historical and cultural city now. Zhangye was called as Ganzhou in ancient time. Zhangye is long in history, splendid in culture, beautiful in landscape and honest in social mood. There is the wetland park nearest to city—Zhangye National Wetland Park; the biggest indoor wood stuffed and clay sculptured lying Buddha of the world, rare treasure – Zhangye Golden Sutra, treasure of cave art – grotto group in Mati Temple of Su’nan, Jinta Temple and Manjushree Temple, the most beautiful colorful Danxia of China, the best preserved and ancient capital of Northern Liang of China – ancient ruins of Camel City, and the largest royal stud farm of the world – Shandan Horse Farm.