Imagine you
are on the ancient Silk Road west of Xi'an
some 120 kilometers (74 miles) and stopping
north of Fufeng. Today the 13-tiered octagonal
brick pagoda in a Ming-style tower and the
three-storey museum built in the Tang style
will appeal to both Buddhists and travelers.
The world famous Famen Temple is a must
visit on your journey.
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.
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.