Located in the southwest of Zhangye city, Gansu province, the Giant Buddha Temple is one of the major historic sites on the Silk Road and also the landmark of Zhangye. With the religion hall built in Western Xia (1038-1227), the largest indoor reclining Buddha in Asia and the written Golden Sutra in Ming Dynasty etc, this Buddha temple is regarded as one of the most famous Buddha temples in northwest.

The existing Giant Buddha Temple is made up of the Giant Buddha Hall, Sutra Collection Pavilion and a Clay Pagoda. It was first built in 1098 with a giant Buddha covered with glazed color tiles, which was discovered by a Shaman. The whole Buddha is 34.5 meters long with 15 meters shoulder breadth, 4 meters foot and 2 meters ear. There are the statues of his ten disciplines behind the Buddha, and the Eighteen Disciples of the Buddha standing on the both sides of the hall. On the walls of the Giant Buddha Hall are frescos on Journey to the West and Mountain-sea Bible. As one of the five elements [1] pagodas of Zhangye, the Clay Pagoda is behind the temple, and 33.73 meters high with four small pagodas on each corner of its first and second stairs.

According to the records, this temple has a close relationship with the royal families of Western Xia and Yuan Dynasties because the queen of Western Xia once lived here sometimes, and the first emperor of Yuan was born in it. Now the temple has been a famous attraction visited by thousands of tourists at home and broad every year.