It is impressive that the sleeping Buddha is still so well kept even though the statute was created by the Dangxiang people (an ethnic group that was wiped out by the Mongols in the 1300s) with wood and clay over a thousand years ago in the Western Xia dynasty. But the stories behind the Buddha and the temple are also very interesting. Although we didn’t hire a tour guide for our visit, there was a retired high official visiting, and the temple office provided him with a well-trained curator dressed in ancient Dangxiang costumes. We just tagged along and listened to the curator’s vivid stories about the Dangxiang ethnic group and the creation of the temple and the statute. It was both a worthy history lesion and an entertainment session for me.

This temple has a Gigantic Reclining Buddha. Guide told us its thirty-five metres long, unfortunately its all covered with scalfolding as the restoration work in progress. From the side ,although not visible, one could still see that this statue is made of clay on a wooden frame. It does depicts the Gautama Buddha’s attainment of nirvana, with his ten disciples standing behind him. This hall has a wooden structure are murals of Journey to the West ,Mountain & Sea Classics. Our Guide told us many tales on the 18 Arhats seated along the walkway, a lot of stories to remember !!! Next is the Sutras Exhibition Hall has all literatures and documentation on Buddhism as well as the collections of all the Buddhas statues. The Earthen Tower stands tall in the near distance, however we didn’t have much time to explore further. But we managed to browse through the Tourist Service Centre . All in all, it is a good place for people to see something about the history, culture, art, architecture and religion !!.

The main attraction here is the Giant Buddha - the largest reclining Buddha in China - which is quite old and very well-maintained. When we visited, it was being restored, so it had scaffolding all over it. Photos are not allowed inside temples, so you have to go to see not only the Giant Buddha, but also all of the other sculptures and murals painted on the walls (including a captivating mural of the Monkey King.) There is also a lovely museum as part of the complex which has many sutras and objects on display. If you are in Zhangye anyway (such as for the National Geopark, a Silk Road tour, or for the Horse Hoof Temples), or if a visit to this important Buddha is valuable to you, it is worth a visit. I would not travel all the way to Zhangye to see this, but it was impressive while we were here.