Famen Temple

In 1981 half of the Ming pagoda at Famen collapsed after rain, and clearing it in 1987 uncovered a crypt sealed since 874 containing four finger bone relics, one held to be the Buddha's own and three replicas, in nested reliquaries of gold, silver, jade and sandalwood, along with the Tang court's offerings: over a hundred pieces of gold and silver, secret-colour Yue ware ceramics whose existence had been known only from texts, and imported glass. The find is among the most significant of Tang archaeology. A museum holds the objects, and a large modern hall built in 2009 enshrines the relic on ceremonial days.

History

Han-dynasty roof tiles and bricks found here suggest the temple goes back to the Eastern Han, and by the Northern Wei it was already large. It took the name Famen in 618, at the start of the Tang dynasty; in 631 Zhang Liang pulled down the Wangyun Palace to build its pagoda, rebuilt in 660 as a four-storey pavilion pagoda, and Emperor Zhongzong named it the True Relic Pagoda. Tang emperors brought out the Buddha's relic here seven times, each time with rich gifts, until the temple had 24 courtyards, and its underground palace was left unaltered after the last of these ceremonies under Emperor Yizong (Wikipedia, Famen Temple).

What's there

• The Tang crypt - the sealed underground chamber below the pagoda.
• The reliquaries - nested gold, silver and jade containers in the museum.
• The secret-colour ceramics - Yue ware known only from texts before 1987.
• The modern hall - the large 2009 building enshrining the relic.

When to go

April to June and September to October for mild weather; the relic itself is displayed only on specific days. Buddhist festivals bring large crowds. The site is usually a half-day trip from Xi'an.

Before you go

Much of the site is modern construction on a large scale, which some find at odds with the antiquity of the find. The relic is not always on view. Entry is expensive and the complex involves long walking.

Nearby

Baoji lies west; Xi'an is east.

Key facts