The giant reclining Buddha statue in the Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Dafo Temple, or Giant Buddha Temple in Zhangye, Northwest China's Gansu province, is renowned for housing Asia's largest reclining Buddha statue, made in 1098 during the Xixia regime (1038-1227).

Measuring some 35 meters long, the gigantic statue is made of clay on a wooden frame, depicting the Gautama Buddha's attainment of nirvana, with his ten disciples standing behind him.Also on view in the hall displayingthe statue are murals dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) which depict stories of the Silk Road.

Part of the giant reclining Buddha statue in the Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

A significant Buddhist site in history, Dafo Temple is also home to over 10,000 valuable cultural relics, including thecomplete original version ofDaming Sanzang Shengjiao Beicang, a precious sutra collection consisting of more than 6,000 volumes.

The main hall containing the giant Buddha statue at Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

Recognized as the existing largest and best-preserved Xixia imperial temple, the site, covering an area of 60,000 square meters, features a group of buildings along an east-west central axis, including the Giant Buddha Hall, the Sutras Exhibition Hall, a memorial archway gate and the earthen tower.

The earthen tower at Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

Due to their advanced age, the buildings, sculptures and murals in the temple have suffered varying degrees of damage, and have been repaired many times in history, according to Wang Kang, director of the Cultural Relics Research Institute of the Zhangye Dafo Temple.

"From 2005 to2007, we thoroughly repaired the temple following the principle of 'repairing the old as it is',"Wang recalled.

The Sutras Exhibition Hall at Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

Wang said that a project involving digitizing the temple's immovable cultural relics is afoot. "It's about scanning and recording the details of all the wooden structures of the temple,"he said.

"We plan to build a digital exhibition space using all the data we have collectedabout the temple's architecture, scriptures and murals, and it will be open to the public next October at the latest,"Wang added.

Part of the ancient scriptures written with gold ink displayed at Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

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Heritage workers repair ancient scriptures at the Cultural Relics Research Institute of the Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province on Oct 17, 2024. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]