Dafo Temple or Great Buddha Temple notable for its gigantic reclining Buddha statue made around 1100 during the Western Xia period, which is thirty-five metres long
The temple was built around the beginning of the 12th century, during the Western Xia (1038–1227) period. In 1028, the Tibeto-Burman speaking Tangut people took over Zhangye (then known as Ganzhou) from the Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom. A few years later they founded the Western Xia and controlled the entirety of the Hexi Corridor. To strengthen their hold over the area, the Xia built temples and ordered the translation of the Buddhist scriptures. They were especially strong during the reign of the Emperor Chongzong of Western Xia (1086–1139), and the Dafo Temple dates from this time.
