Among the many landmarks of Zhangye City and Area, the most renowned and readily
available is its Great Buddha Temple (or Big Buddha Temple) which has a Towering
Pagoda dated over 1400 years old, as well as a giant reclining buddha statue. Find the Temple
known in Chinese as Dafo Si, at the South End of town where it has 'always' been.
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Zhangye City landmarks dating from a far more recent history include first and foremost a Monument dedicated to a part of the revolutionary Red Army that perished in 1935 AD during a lesser known episode of the Long March now known as the "Ningxia Campaign".
The Gaotai Martyrs Monument is not part of Zhangye Town, but found in Gaotai County of Zhangye City Prefecture, which is a small agricultural Town located some 80 kilometers to the North-West of Zangye City along the Hei River and the Lanzhou-Urumqi Highway.
It serves as the official site of commemoration for the so-called fifth army corps of the 4Th Red Workers and Peasants Army Detachment, which was sent to these regions in 1935 AD, only shortly after their arrival from the devastating "Long March". Due to various peculiar events, important political factors, the harassment by forces of the Muslim Warlords of the Region and a cold and harsh winter, half of the Army perished along the way to Gaotai, a hostile village with no food whatsoever. The remaining soldiers were cornered at the Town to make final stand and be defeated.
Only handful of the army were to return, most escaping on foot through Qinghai Province or hiding in local villages.
A Last popular place to visit at Zhangye is its famous Horse Farm, the largest Army Horse Breeding Farm in China. Officially known as Shandan Army Horse Ranch, the Farm is not located at Zhangye City but can be found due South-West of Zhangye, and 55 kilometers south of the historical Town of Shandan which itself lies just 66 kilometers due East of Zhangye along Highway No.312 (Lanzhou-Urumqi Highway).
There the Farm lies situated in Damayin pastureland underneath Yanzhi Mountain at the Height of 2600 meters.
The Shandan Ranch has a history of over 2000 years, with historical documents mentioning horse raising at the Shandan Farm as early as during the Era of the Sui Dynasty (581 AD - 618 AD). The wider regions however were already well known for their grasslands and sturdy horses during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). In fact, Shandan Farm is in truth a living relic of the Silk Road. That being, it was here in the Hexi Corridor that the first strong Horses discovered by envoy Zhang Qian in Dayuan (大宛 or 'Great Yuan', literally 'Great Ionians' thought to have been in the Ferghana Valley in Uzbekistan) and Wushun, homelands of nomadic tribes, were interbred with horse species from Central China leading to stronger and improved horses available for the Cavalry of the Imperial Armies.
For historical interest: Dayuan People were essentially Greeks who were the descendants of the Greek colonists that settled in these regions during and just after the Great Conquests of Asia led by Alexander the Great (356 BC–323 BC). During this conquest the Ferghana Valley regions were the most eastern lands reached by the Greeks, and those who stayed first settled in the area around the year 329 BC.
Their nation, which had a Capital City named Alexandria Eschate subsequently prospered within the Hellenistic realm of the Seleucids and Greco-Bactrians, until new migrations of nomdaic tribes within Central and East-Asia isolated their lands. The Ferghana eventually fell to the numerous migrating Yuezhi People from Mongolian Regions in and around 160 BC. Historians and others have been suggested that the name "Yuan" given to the Greeks by the Chinese of the Han Era was simply a transliteration of the words “Yona”, or “Yavana”, used throughout antiquity in Asia to designate Greeks (“Ionians”).
At any rate, the Greeks were found by the Han Imperial Envoy Zhang Qian, who was the earliest Chinese visitor to make it as far West as these regions. Zhang Qian only passed through on his way to visit the Da Yuezhi or 'Great Yuezhi' in about the year 127-126 BC. However, he had stayed around long enough to identify the military significance of the strong horses kept by the Greeks. Not much later special diplomatic missions would be organized to establish friendship with the Dayuan and get hold of some horses.
Later during the Tang Dynasty Era (618 AD -907 AD) Persian horses were brought from the West to interbreed with Tang Dynasty Chinese horses "of strength and vivacious beauty". The horses were of such importance to the Chinese Empire that the Shandan Farm and its animals were especially mentioned in the Tang Dynasty Records, known as the "New History of the Tang Dynasty" (Xin Tang Shu), where it is listed in the texts of the military sections. It were the horses from Shandan and the wider hexi Corridor that inspired the many depcitions of flying or galloping horses that were unearthed at archeological sites along the length of the Hexi Corridor.
Ever since the earliest existence of the ancient Silk Road Shandan Horses have served a crucial function in the armies of many Chinese Dynasties and thus the Shandan Horse Farm is famous in China.
However, even though the Farm is legendary Mount Yanzhi towering over the grasslands with a top op 3987 Meters may be even more famous. Interestingly, famous among the local population this is the location where abundant rhubarbs grow. The rhubarbs from the base of Mount Yanzhi are plants which for centuries have been used as an ingredient for herbal medicines in these regions, and in the west (In Europe) their abundant growth here was first announced by Marco Polo.
The Shandan Horse farm occupies a large area of grasslands on which the horses are allowed to graze near freely. In fact, the Ranch is so large that it straddles no less than 6 counties of Zhangye Prefecture and occupies over 200.000 hectares of Land. With it superlarge size, today it takes the second position in the world and the largest in Asia. Although the modern Chinese Army has been largely mechanized, reducing the need for animals there are still about 10,000 army horses herded there. Apart from these, the Farm raises Mules and Donkeys, as well as Yaks - much needed for the Army to use in their operations in mountainous area's such as in Kashmir and Tibet to the West and South-West. The Mules and Horses of Shandan were put to good use in the aftermath of the Sichuan Earthquakes in 2008, when roads blocked and rivers shifted, transport of vital medicines and materials could sometimes only be done with the help of animals.
The main administrative building of the ranch lies right underneath Yanzhi Mountain.
Visitors are sparse so booking ahead is a good idea. Visitors can enjoy the wide open spaces of Damayin Grasslands, the fantastic sight of Mount Yanzhi and rent horses and/or get a guided tour of the facilities by jeep or on horseback.
Due to its height be aware: bring warm clothing when visiting in spring or autumn. Things can get really nippy at the Ranch. Not to mention the sometimes spectacular high snows of winter.
Great Wall of China at Zhangye - Remnants of the Han Dynasty Wall:
Other impressive ancient landmarks include a relatively under-advertized section of the
Great Wall of China, The World Cultural Heritage Mati Si Buddhist Caves and their uniquely preserved Cave Art, and then some other ancient Temples with remarkable architectural features and great historical value.
Long March Monument of Zhangye at Gaotai - End of the Ningxia Campaign:
Shandan PLA Horse Farm - Largest Army Horse Farm in China at the Great Wall:
Zhangye is not merely known for its spectacular historic landmarks but also for its unique landscape and scenery. Bordered by the mighty Qilian Shan mountain range with tops going over 5500 meters, Zhangye lies surrounded by surprising green lands. Where horses graze on the Damaiyin Pasture Lands underneath, Egrets fly over the Heihe wetlands of Gaotai County in Zhangye City. The Heihe wetlands of Zhangye surround the Town and lie on an important migration route and its abundant waters in otherwise arid regions provide an essential stop-over on the way across the continent.
Much has been done by the local People and Provincial Authorities to preserve the natural variety of this special place leading to a recent increase of the Bird Population. Many come to Zhangye just to see them and enjoy their wild beauty!
More wetlands of the Hei River are located near Jinta and County, North of Jiuquan and due West of the Hei River itself. Here at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,924 meters lies the Jinta Nature Reserve, a restored wetlands area with a surface area of 1,800,000 hectares. The main terrain type of this region is Eurasian steppe and desert, however amidst the barren desert wildlife thrives in various ponds and extensive marsh area's.
The north edge of this Nature reserve is formed by Tangke-Hongxing Road, the south edge is formed by Tangke-Ruoergai county road, the east edge is formed by Ruoergai-Diebu National Road (No.213), and the Che’niya River, the Hei River and Tangke-hongxing National Road (No.213) together form the western edge of the Jinta Nature reserve.
The boundary of the wetland is the same as the boundary of current nature reserve.
Natural Scenery - Heihe Wetlands and Bird Migration:
A third spot of natural scenery is the complete opposite of this. At Danxia Landforms Geology Park
there are only rocks and desert. The eroded hills and unique hilly terrain with red rocks and cliffs of
the Danxia Landforms make for a colorful landscape in what is otherwise a bleak and boring desert
of the Hexi Corridor.
Geologically, the Danxia Landforms belong to red terrestrial clastic rock landform, which is characterized by its red and white banded cliffs with sharp edges and, within China, is only found in Qinghai Province and Gansu Province. Find this type of "painted desert" made up of eroded rocks and hills mainly concentrated in Linze and Sunan Counties near the city of Zhangye where they occupy some 300 square kilometers of land, the largest such area within the Nation. The section near Kangle village in Sunan County is known to have the best and most esthethically evolved landforms and is thus one of the favorite spots for a visit.
Entirely desolate and devout of water the Danxia Landforms are no place to go hiking without a proper guide and/or navigation. Do not get lost or stray, or perhaps pay the ultimate penalty.
Natural Scenery - The Desert - Danxia Landforms:
Sound Bonus: Marco Polo- "La Grande Muraglia", by Rondo Venetiano.
Great Buddhist Cave Art of the Silk Road: Zhangye's Mati Si - Horses' Roof Temple:
One of the Most Famous Landmarks of the Silk Road can be found near Zhangye. Visitors first have to travel due South West of Town to Sunan Town, which is about 65 kilometers from Zhangye. Not far from there is the location of The Grottoes of the Matisi Temple Complex, which consists of various Temples and the Caves with their Deities and Murals. Set within the beautiful surroundings of the Green foothills of the Qilian Mountains, and along a cool and refreshing river, Mati Si offers a unique and amazing scenery.
Dafo si, the Great Buddha Temple is Zhangye's first and most visible historic Monument and Tourist attraction. The Dafo Si's earliest existance dates to the years of the Northern Sui Dynasty when Zhangye was already firmly within the (Han) Chinese Cultural Sphere. At the time it was known as Wanshou Temple.
Drum Tower - Gulou:
The Drum and Bell-Tower sits in the Center of Town. The tower was built in the year 1507 AD of the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD - 1644 AD) and is styled accordingly. The whole architectural concept for the tower was to built it as smaller copy of Xian's Bell Tower, an impressive and massive block tower. With its imppresive size the Zhangye Bell and Drum Tower the biggest drum tower in the Hexi Corridor. Also called Zhenyuan Tower and popularly known as the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) it has a traditional Chinese Ming Style of architecture with splendid cornice and fine carving.
In essence the construction is formed of a square lower level made of stone and resembling a City Wall. On top of the Platform sits the wooden Tower pavilion which has two tiers and houses a massive bronze bell. It is thus in fact also a Bell-Tower (Zong Lou). Drums are fitted on the exterior platform. The four streets radiating out from the Drum Tower are, Bei jie - North Street, Dong Jie - East Street, Nan Jie - South Street and Xi Jie - West Street. These main streets are as is common throughout China named after their respective compass points.
Most scenic sites within Zhangye are located south of the Central Drum Tower.
During the Ming Dynasty period, starting immediatly after the last Mongol Armies were driven out of the Hexi Corridor through the Jiayu Pass, Zhangye was an important garrison town for soldiers guarding the Great Wall. Construction began on the Great Wall Fortress at Jiayuguan further West in the Year 1372 AD, after which the entire length of the Great Wall of China was reinforced, redesigned and strengthened. It is estimated that well over a million soldiers guarded the great wall, with many more needed to support them and their hungry mouths.
Today the Great Wall near Zhangye is crumbling and found mostly to the south of the town. Follow the road South-Eastward from Zhangye to Wuwei to get a good impression of today's remnants. Although the Walls encircling the Ming Era Capital at Beijing were almost exclusively built of bricks or local rocks, which made them near impenetrable and standing today, the construction in these western regions were done with often less solid materials. The builders used whatever materials were locally available, and thus in these parts, the Wall were often made of Mud and Reeds.
Today the eroding remnants are clearly visible along large part of the East-West Lanzhou-Urumqi Highway as a slightly sad and
A Schematic Map of China and East-Asia, with a super-imposed schematic of the various layers of the Great Wall of China.
Features Pre-Qin Dynasty Wall, Qin Dynasty Wall, Western Han Great Wall of China, the (Northern) Jin Dynasty Great Wall and finally the Ming Dynasty Great Wall as mainly remains today.
crumbling line of mud ramparts. Initially it runs to the north of the road, until, quite dramatically, the road suddenly cuts right through a hole in the Wall and continues on the other side. Every now and then a crumbling watchtower or beacon dots the landscape in the vicinity.
Route Map of Xuanzang's "Journey to The West" (India).
Today's Buddha Statue has been renovated rebuilding it from Clay, Soil and the modern material known as plastic. Covered in gold plating it measures 34.5 meters wide and 7.5 meters high at the shoulders. The head of Buddha is gargantuan and has ears some impressive 2 meter long ears. According to local tales 8 people can sit on the ears, side by side.
The Shrine Hall that holds the reclining Buddha Statue -offcially known as the Nirvana Posture- is an ancient monument and as one of the oldest buildings in the complex of today is one of the few wooden structures surviving of its era. Behind the Main Hall is an impressive white Stupa reminding of Tibetan influences.
Another feature of the Temple is the two-storey building called Scripture Pavilion, which was reconstructed at the end of Qing Dynasty (1644 AD -1911AD). With its 27.4 meters (89.9 feet) height and five-room broad span, the building holds over 6000 priceless original buddhist scriptures, a national treasure of sorts.
The exterior of the Scriptures Pavilion was decorated with railings and layered terraces. The Pavilion is found behind and North of the Pagoda.
The wooden Pagoda itself is 9 story's high and sits upon a twenty by twenty meter brick foundation which dates to the year 528 AD. Reaching a height of 32.8 meters (107.6 feet) the Pagoda has dominated its section of Zhangye Town for many centuries past. Surviving natural disasters such as earthquakes, storms and lightning, the Dafo Si Pagoda is a unique remnant of an ancient Era. its beauty and architectural genius only surpassed by the Zhengding Pagoda in Hebei Province.
The Pagoda, Mu Ta, has a unique octagon shaped structure with in each tier with eight dragonhead woodcarvings on each angle of the roof. The Dragonheads carry a bead in the mouth and a wind-bell below their necks. Founded upon a brick platform, the main body of the first to seventh storeys are constructed with brick walls but wooden eaves.
The eaves are formed into pavilion style structure. Within the pagoda, each floor has doors, cloisters, engraved windows and lintels, which were embedded with brick carved steles. The eighth and ninth storeys of this Pagoda are entirely constructed of wood.
The pagoda tapers gradually from the bottom, while the height of the storeys becomes lower with each succesive step. The doors and windows are on different sides of different storeys giving the Pagoda a frivolous asymetrical look. There are doors on the east and west sides of the first storey; false doors on the east and west sides and false windows on the south and north sides of the second storey; doors on four sides and moon-shaped windows on the third storey; doors on the east and west sides and false windows on the south and north sides of the fifth storey; doors on four sides of the six storey, and no doors but moon-shaped windows on the south and north sides of the seventh storey.
Carved on the false windows are designs of flowers, and above the doors are inscribed boards. The board over the east door of the first storey says, "Reach paradise," and the inscription above the west door says, "Enter the state of samadhi. " The whole pagoda looks steady and exquisite.
The 9 Story Pagoda of Dafo Si is unique from most other pagodas because neither a nail nor a rivet can be found in the entire structure. Ascending to the top, one can get a panoramic view of the surrounding city of today.
Records show that the pagoda had been renovated several times during the Sui (581 AD - 618 AD) Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty (618 AD -907 AD), the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD - 1644 AD) and the last feudal Dynasty, the Ching (1644 AD - 1911 AD). The ancient wooden pagoda was finally brought down by high desert winds in the year 1911 AD, but it was restored in 1926 AD.
The present Wooden Pagoda has been well kept since. Recently, between 1983 to 1986, the local government allocated funds to restore the whole temple. With an increase in funding from a local and provincial level made possibly by China's economic miracle, the Dafo Si has been well maintained, serving as a Jewel in the Crown of the City and its thriving Tourism Industry.
The Great Buddha Temple of Zhangye is one of Zhangye City Prefectures 'Five Elements' Pagodas. The elements being: Metal, wood, water, fire and earth (The other 4 such Pagoda's will be described on this website later).
Due to its ancient history and distinct features the Zhangye Pagoda of Dafo Si is considered magnificent and unique, even within China.
Last but not least, the Zhangye Folk Customs Museum is located in the Wooden Pagoda Temple.
To find the exact location easiest. Start by locating the drum tower in the old Center of Zhangye. From there it is some distance walking, two blocks southward and one block westward to find the Great Buddha Temple. Luckily, at most times the Top of the wooden Pagoda can be seen, thus guiding the way.
Locally, the address of the Temple Complex is described as located in the south street of Zhangye County Government, but visitors who don't know where to find the City Hall are lost with such directions.
Due to its central location in Town, during the high season the Temple can be quite heavily visited, with tour groups of mostly Chinese Nationals flocking by. The current admission fee is CNY 50. Opening Hours are between: 08:00 AM and 17:30 PM.
Apart from its magnificent 9-story wooden Pagoda it is also home to a giant 35 meter long reclining Buddha statue, which is surrounded by 10 Guardian Buddha's known as Lohan, disciples. Two side halls siting besides the Main Shrine Hall contain some 18 more statues of the Saintly Warriors. Each of them has a unique gesture and expression.
The reclining Buddha of Zhangye is said to be the largest reclining Buddha Statue in the Nation. It lies peacefully within the Main Shrine Hall, surrounded by eroded Clay Arhats (Guardians) and a colorful collection of impressive Murals dating to the Qing Dynasty Era (1368 AD-1644 AD). The unique murals are originals depicting episodes from the ancient Chinese encyclopedia and from the famous Tale 'Journey to the West', a classic in Chinese Literature and still enormously popular today. The Tale is very loosely based on the Travels of the Monk Xuanzang, who after conquering many obstacles reached "Nirvana", in his case the holy land of India, where he found wisdom and his many scriptures.
Learn more about The Great Wall of China, Emperor Qin, his Terracotta Armies and the horrifying fate of those who opposed him through this new Film-Documentary.
Lying 12.5 kilometers (7.77 miles) northwest of Zhangye City, the Relics of Heishui Kingdom belongs to the Neolithic Age. Covering an area of roughly four square kilometers (988.4 acres), there were many Tombs dating to the Han Dynasty in this area. Unfortunately, most of the tombs were buried by sand storms that are increasingly plaguing the region.
Heshui Kingdom Relics of the Han Dynasty - Tombs in the Desert:
Just away from the small Cities' Center, in the northwest corner of the downtown area sits Ganquan Park, a traditional Chinese Garden with plenty of Green, water, pavilions and rockeries. According to the local Tourism Agency the garden is intended to resemble the classical gardens of water rich Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. Whichever way it is, during most of the season the Park is a great place to relax, have a lunch, watch the activities or meet a business contact in leisurely surroundings.
Wandering in the Zhangye Forest Park, one sees boundless mountains and successive dunes in the distance and enjoys the sunshine on the beach. In summer, Hongyashan Reservoir is an ideal place to escape the heat. All of these make a trip to Zhangye unforgettable.
Other Scenic Sites near Zhangye:
Large Statue of a Chinese Horse running over a Globe, one of the recent Monuments showing the importance of the Silk Road, History and Tourism to the City of JiaYuGuan.
A Go to Linze County and the village of Banqiao on the Hei River to locate the last remaining remnants of Zhaowu Town, millenia ago the Capital City of the Nomadic Rouzhi Tribe. Before the arrival of the Han Dynasty Armies in the West descendants of the Rouzhi people populated this middle section of the Hexi Corridor along the Hei River, making grateful use of the green oasis and grasslands underneath the mountains. Nine Kingdoms were formed around seperate Oasis along the Hexi Corridor, populated by shrewd trading people who, due to their strategic location were able to dominate trade between these regions and central Asia. Although the Rouzhi prospered and multiplied, they were eventually driven out by the Xiongnu People, and emigrated across the Pamir mountains to the West. Although Zhaowu has been abandonned since some scattered remains exist. Todays Zhaowu village near Banqiao is built on what were once the suburbs of Zhaowu City of the Rouzhi and is situated on the South Bank of the River. The ancient Ruins lie on the Northern Bank.
Xilai Temple is supposedly situated in the southwestern area of the city, however it does not show up on Google Maps, or other Maps of the Town. Accroding to source, Xilai Temple was built in the Ming Dynasty and reconstructed during the Qing Dynasty. The major buildings of the temple are Guanyin Palace and the Cangjing (Scripture Preserving) Building.
