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In China, many temples house treasures and
artifacts, but the sheer quantity and quality of treasures in the Famen
Temple are rare. Situated in Famen Town of Fufeng County, about 120
kilometers (about 74.57 miles) west of Xian, Famen Temple is renowned
for storing the veritable Finger Bone of the Sakyamuni Buddha.
Famen Temple was established in the Eastern Han
Dynasty (25--220), for carrying forward Buddhism. The most
representative structures in the temple are the Famen Temple Pagoda and
Famen Temple Museum.
At the center of the temple is the 13-tiered
octagonal pagoda under which it is said, a sliver of the finger bone of
Sakyamuni buried. In 1981, subsidence of the pagoda led to
reconstruction, during which, an Underground Palace was discovered
unexpectedly in 1987. Many royal treasures and jewelry were found
here-more than 2,000 pieces surrounded the Tang mandala (geometric
designs, usually circular, symbolizing the universe). The most precious
one is the veritable Finger Bone of the Sakyamuni Buddha. At present,
this is the biggest Buddhist underground palace so far discovered. From
the grand architectural style, it is said to have been established in
the Tang Dynasty (618-907). But why, and how such precious treasures
were stored under the pagoda. Tracing back to a most flourishing time in
Chinese history, formerly, Famen Temple was the royal temple during the
Sui Dynasty (581-618) and Tang Dynasty. Emperors in Sui and Tang
believed that enshrining and worshiping the bone of Sakyamuni would
bring riches and peace to the land and its people. So an offering of
treasure to the finger bone was made, it was housed in the Underground
Palace.
Due to the appropriate collection and further
expounding of the cultural connotations of the treasures to the public,
the Famen Temple Museum was established in 1987, which includes most of
the precious treasures from the Tang Dynasty removed from Underground
Palace, including gold and silverware, colored glaze ware, porcelain and
silks. Owing to more and more tourists and their curiosity to the
relics, two new exhibition halls were established in 2000. The
exhibition area expanded from 500 square meters to 3,000 square meters,
which well caters for the interest of tourists.
Nowadays, Famen Temple, which is the most famous
Buddhist temple, plays a sovereign role in Chinese Buddhism, and appeals
to tourists from all over the world.
Address: Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province
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