famen temple 法门寺
Initially constructed by Emperor Ling during the Eastern Han Dynasty after Buddhism was introduced in China, the Famen Temple has a history of more than 1,700 years. It is located in Famen Town of Fufeng county, approximately 100 kilometers west of Xi'an, Shaanxi province.
The Famen Temple Pagoda was originally built of wood. However, it collapsed between 1567 and 1572 in the Ming Dynasty. After it was rebuilt in 1579, the center of the temple became the 13-tiered octagonal pagoda. The brick building is more than sixty meters high with inscriptions on the four sides of the first story; "Pagoda for Sakyamuni's Body", "The Beauty of the Town", "The Buddhist Relic Glows", and "The Pagoda Shines". In 1982, heavy rains and flooding in the Shaanxi province caused the pagoda's foundation to crack and the eventual collapse of more than half of the temple. Preparatory work was carried out by the government in 1986 in order to repair the Famen Temple, during which an underground palace containing large quantities of relics and treasures was unexpectedly discovered.
Most of the relics found in the underground palace belonged to the Tang Dynasty. Tracing back to the Golden Age of the Silk Road, emperors believed that enshrining and worshipping the relics of Sakyamuni Buddha would bring peace and prosperity to the land and its people. Offering of treasures were housed in the underground palace. These unearthed treasures play an important role in the research of political history, cultural history, and art history.
It is currently the largest of all underground palaces known today. Not only has it become a leading Buddhism center for pilgrims from all over China, but a culture research center and a popular tourist destination.
Most of the relics found in the underground palace belonged to the Tang Dynasty. Tracing back to the Golden Age of the Silk Road, emperors believed that enshrining and worshipping the relics of Sakyamuni Buddha would bring peace and prosperity to the land and its people. Offering of treasures were housed in the underground palace. These unearthed treasures play an important role in the research of political history, cultural history, and art history.
It is currently the largest of all underground palaces known today. Not only has it become a leading Buddhism center for pilgrims from all over China, but a culture research center and a popular tourist destination.