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Famen Temple, Xi'an

Famen Temple was established in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25--220) with the purpose to carry forward Buddhism. There are the most famous Buddhist temple and the biggest Buddhist pagoda in the world inside this scenic spot. The temple is renowned for storing the veritable finger bone relic of the Sakyamuni Buddha as well.

Structures of the temple

The most representative structures in the Famen Temple Scenic Spot are: Dagoba, Famen Temple Pagoda and Famen Temple Museum.

The Dagoba

It is the core building of the Famen Temple Scenic Spot which was built recently. Combining classical structure and modern techniques together, the Dagoba is a man-made resplendent and magnificent wonder with exquisite design and profound cultural contents.

The zen gesture of the Dagoba is meaningful, which can not only present the Buddhist culture, but also symbolize the peace and harmony of the world. Inside it, there is a pagoda with the style of Tang Dynasty. The Dagoba have both carried forward the Buddhist culture and combined the essence of architecture of both China and the foreign countries: the glass curtain is the product of modern technique; while the Mani-gem and Lotus Terrace represent the style and spirit of traditional Buddhist building. The finger bone relic of Sakyamuni and thousands of precious treasures which were offered to Buddhist in ancient time were discovered.

The Famen Temple Pagoda

It is said that a sliver finger bone relic of Sakyamuni was buried under this 13-tiered octagonal pagoda. An Underground Palace was discovered unexpectedly in 1987 during the reconstruction and it has become the biggest Buddhist underground palace so far discovered. Judging from the grand architectural style, the pagoda might be built in Tang Dynasty. But why and how such precious treasures were stored under the pagoda? It can date back to the ancient time: formerly, Famen Temple was the royal temple during the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, when Emperors believed that enshrining and worshiping the bone of Sakyamuni would bring rich and peace to the land and its people. So an offering of treasure to the finger bone was made and then housed in the Underground Palace.

Famen Temple Museum

It is a typical Buddhist Art Museum which focus on the collection, protection, display and study of the precious treasure excavated from the Underground Palace of the Famen Temple, including gold and silverware, colored glaze ware, porcelain and silks. It was built originally in 1987 and two new exhibition halls were established later in 2000 to meet the curiosity of the tourists. The exhibition area expands from 500 square meters to 3,000 square meters and well caters for the interest of tourists. You can appreciate many precious treasures there. Do not lose the chance!