Situated some 118 kilometers (73 miles) west of Xian, the Famen Temple will appeal to travelers who a re journeying west to explore the ancient Silk Road. The temple gained the name Famen (which means the initial approach to become a Buddhist believer) in the Tang dynasty when a wooden four-storey structure was built replacing the original Ashoka Stupa built in the Eastern Han dynasty. The temple with the "the Real Spirit Pagoda, |
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" in it enjoyed the reputation of being the "forefather of pagodas and temples in Central Shaanxi," because it held the finger bones of Sakyamuni - the founder of Buddhism.
Visitors to the exhibitions in the Famen Temple Museum will gain a deeper appreciation of the Buddhist culture in ancient China, the religious importance, and follow the splendid history of the Famen Temple. Walking around the temple, the visitors will enjoy the beauty of the Famen Temple.
As Buddhism was being introduced into China, the followers first erected the Ashoka Stupa. The ancient Indian Buddhist King Asoka awarded an authenticated finger bone of Gautama Buddha (Sakyamuni), the founder of Buddhism. In 67 AD during the Eastern Han Dynasty, a wooden four-storey structure was built and it was called Ashoka Temple. According to historical records, it collapsed between 1567 and 1572 in the Ming Dynasty. In 1579, the pagoda was rebuilt as a thirteen-storey brick octagonal pagoda more than sixty meters high. In 631, Emperor Tai Zong (Li Shimin) issued a decree to renovate the temple, and made it subject to none but the imperial court. The Famen Temple underwent other changes during succeeding dynasties of the Song, Ming, and Qing.
In 1982, after heavy rains the pagoda's foundation subsided and cracked, and more than half the pagoda collapsed. During preparatory repairs to the Famen Temple Pagoda foundations in 1986, sealed for 1000 years an underground palace vault was accidentally discovered beneath the pagoda. During the excavation process, a large quantity of precious and invaluable treasures of the Tang Dynasty and valuable Buddhist relics were discovered. The underground palace is 21.2 meters long with an area of 31.84 square meters and boasts that it is the largest of this kind ever discovered with the remains of the finger bones of Sakyamuni and has valuable relics that enshrined these precious bones.
At present, the Famen Temple has not only been restored to its original state, but has also been expanded on an even grander scale and has become a sacred place for Buddhism. Famen Temple is indeed a bright gem in the treasure house of Chinese history and culture. |
