Zhangye can be explored through two very different themes: Dafo Temple represents architecture and important cultural relics, while Zhangye National Wetland Park features wetland landscapes and birdwatching facilities. This gives you a clear choice when planning your trip: cultural history or a nature experience.

Dafo Temple: Architecture and Cultural Relics

Zhangye Dafo Temple covers more than 30,000 square meters. Within its complex, the Dafo Hall houses the largest Buddhist building from the Western Xia in China. It is also home to Asia’s largest indoor reclining Buddha made of wood and clay. These two features make the temple a place where both architecture and an important cultural relic take center stage.

The collection also includes the most complete known copy in China of the first woodblock printing and first printed edition of the “Daming Sanzang Shengjiao Beicang.” In total, the temple preserves more than 10,000 valuable cultural relics. As a nationally protected site for important cultural relics in China, it holds a special place in the country’s cultural heritage. Zhangye Dafo Temple is also classified as a national 4A tourist attraction. These two designations mark different aspects: the protected-site status concerns important cultural relics, while the 4A classification reflects the temple’s tourist status.

In addition to Dafo Temple, built during the Western Xia, the Dafo Temple scenic area includes the Mituo Thousand-Buddha Pagoda from the Ming dynasty, the Bell and Drum Tower, and the Shanxi Guild Hall from the Qing dynasty. These different buildings give the cultural theme several facets: alongside the temple itself, visitors can also see a pagoda, a tower, and a guild hall. The period labels help place the named attractions in their historical context.

Wetland Landscapes at Zhangye National Wetland Park

Zhangye National Wetland Park includes 15,000 mu of marsh, river, and lake wetlands. It is closely connected to the urban area of Zhangye. Its landscape differs markedly from Dafo Temple’s architectural and cultural focus: here, different types of wetlands shape the scenery. In December 2011, the park was classified as a 4A tourist attraction.

The park’s visitor facilities include boardwalks, viewing terraces, and birdwatching pavilions. Leisure activities on offer include cycling, sightseeing trips in tour vehicles, boat trips, and fishing. The mix of viewing opportunities and leisure activities gives you different ways to enjoy a visit to the park. Check current operating conditions before planning a specific visit.

Culture or Nature as the Focus of Your Trip

If you are especially interested in architecture, historic buildings, and cultural relics, the Dafo Temple complex offers a fitting focus for your visit. If you would rather focus on wetlands and the visitor facilities provided for them, the National Wetland Park is another option.

Discover more destinations: Jinchang, Qingyang, Gannan, Jiuquan, Wuwei, Lanzhou, Dingxi, Linxia

For the broader travel overview: Gansu.