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Famen Temple
Not located inside the Xi'an City, but about 10 kilometers north of the
county seat of Fufeng in Shaanxi province, 118 kilometers west of the
walled city. It is a far place to go but still remain big appealing to
visitors and a fascinating place with an intriguing history. It is a famous
temple for holding the genuine Finger Bone of the Sakyamuni Buddha.
History
Being patronized by a succession of emperors, this temple became one of
the four most sacred Buddhist sanctuaries in China. It was established
in the tenth year of Emperor MingDi's reign in Eastern Han Dynasty. Its
name is not Famen Temple at first place, but "Cheng Shi Dao Chang"
instead. The present name was given by the Tang Emperor GaoZu in 625.
For several years, it was subject to none but the imperial court following
the decree by Emperor TaiZong in 631. After that, it was uninterrupted
underchanges during the coming dynasties of Song, Ming and Qing. But the
most serious damage made was during the pre-PRC establishment from th
eyear 1912 to 1949. since the founding of the People's Republic of China,
however, Famen Temple has received care and protection from national government.
Structure
The temple firstly built for carrying forward Buddhism. The most representative
structures in the temple are the Famen Temple Pagoda and Famen Museum.
It is said that a silver of the finger bone of Sakyamuni buried in the
13-tiered octagonal pagoda, which lies in the center of the Temple. In
the year 1981, the pagoda has been caved in urged the reconstruction project.
Unexpectedly, it was not a sheer building process but marked as a memorial
historical moment for the great discovery of an excellent Underground
Palace. More than 2,000 pieces of royal treasures and jewellery were collected
here, most of which belonged to the Tang mandala. From its unique architectural
style, it was estimated that established in the Tang Dynasty. As for the
huge numbers, it is large due to its status as the royal temple for several
dynasties. Emperors always believed 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 in the underground.
After founding of People's Republic of China, next to the Famen Temple,
a three-story building with typical Tang architectural style was established
for further expounding of the cultural connotations of the treasures to
public. Exactly speaking, it is the Famen Temple Museum that established
in 1987. It has propagated Chinese ancient culture and exhibits and preserves
the excavated treasures and cultural relics.
Today
Nowadays Famen Temple has become a sacred place for both Buddhism and
tourism. Walking around the temple, the visitors are able to drink in
the beauty of numerous scenic spots. At the same time, they will get a
deeper understanding of its splendid history and culture. Famen Temple
is indeed a bright gem in the treasure house of Chinese |
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