The Daxiang Giant Buddha ( Daxiang dafo ), part of a cliff on the Giant Statue Mountain ( Daxiangshan ), stands three kilometers from the main tourists sights of Gangu county. The statue itself, a representation of the Buddha Sakyamuni , is an impressive 23 km in height, and is well detailed, the features completed by a serious facial expression.

According to both historical records and the relics that have been excavated here and around this region, the Daxiang Giant Buddha was built in the Northern Wei dynasty, some 1,500 years ago. Many of the features of the Buddha are in the style of the Tang dynasty, however, and it has been suggested that it took sculptors over three centuries, and four dynasties, to complete the making of this cultural treasure.

How to get to Daxiang Giant Buddha : To get to Gangu take the bus from Tianshui, in front of the square, from between 8-9 am. The journey will take between one and one and a half hours and costs between RMB 10-15. The attraction can be reached on foot along a path leading up from Gangu town in about an hour.
Cost: RMB 5
Opening hours: 8:30 am-5:30 pm.