Famen Temple

Hours & Admission Price Peak Season
Jan. - Dec.
08:00-18:00
120 Low Season
Jan. - Dec.
08:00-18:00
120 Address & Phone Transportation Take Tourist Bus No.2,3 at Xi'an Railway Station,get off at Famensi Bowuguan(Famen Temple Museum) station.The bus departs at 08:00 and back from Famen Temple at 15:00.Bus ticket&# Notes

Famen Temple has the highest stupa in the world and is the Buddha Bethel. In 2006, Famen Temple was included into the Six Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Located in Fufeng County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, Famen Temple lies 96 kilometers away from Baoji City and 120 kilometers away from Xi’an. Founded in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), Famen Temple has a long history of 1700 years. And it was called Famen Temple in Tang Dynasty and was known as the royal temple. There are more than more than two thousand treasures of Tang Dynasty (618-907) in the under palace of Famen Temple.

History

Before 3BC, after the reunification of India, in order to promote the Buddhism, Ashoka the controller divided the Buddha into abundant copies and distributed all over the world to build the stupas. China had nineteen and Famen was the fifth to get it. So firstly founded in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Famen Temple was named after Ashaka, and was called it Ashoka Temple.

During Tang Dynasty (618-907) which lasted more than two hundred years, eight Emperors visited the temple successively. The Tang Emperors believed in Buddhism so that Famen Temple became the royal temple and was regarded as a Buddhist holy site. In 625, it was changed into Famen Temple.

Famen Temple in Song Dynasty inherited the Tang Dynasty’s great momentum and was resorted to the largest. In 1569, the four level tower collapsed after hundreds years. In 1579, the local gentries devoted money to rebuild the Famen Temple. Taking 30 years, the thirteen layers tower 47 meters high had been built.

After the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Fanmen Temple began to decline. In 1939, under the auspices of the Patriot Zhu Ziqiao, Fanmen Temple finished the largest repair. In 2006, Famen Temple was included into the Six Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Dagoba Temple

Taken three years, the Dagoba in Famen Temple is 148 meters high, modeling like folded hands with middle hollow portion being a traditional form tower of Tang Dynasty.

Buddha Road

Before the tower is a Buddha Road 1230 meters long and 108 meters wide, covering an area of 140,000 square meters. It is a spindle scenic spot. In the both end of the avenue are Pilgrimage Square and Shanmen Square which can hold one hundred thousand people. Boulevard is located on the eastern side of the Buddha Road. From this place, you can see eight groups of landscape sculpture of Buddha.

Collections of Cultural Relics

Sariras

4 sariras were found in the palace under the ground of Famen Temple in 1987. Two were produced by jade and another one was Buddhist reliquary. These three are Yingu which are not the real sariras strictly, just the mimics. The three Yingu are placed together with the Linggu which is the treasure in Buddha world to protect the latter. Famen has become a Buddhist resort since the sariras unearthed.

Gold and Silver Utensils

More than 120 gold and silver under the palace of Famen Temple have very high archaeological value. Teapots and many other tea sets unearthed are almost identical to the Japanese tea ceremony utensils, which proves that Japanese tea ceremony originated in Tang Dynasty of China.

Silk

Chinese silk fabric in Tang Dynasty had developed to a peak. The silk in the palace becomes very good evidences. An embroidered skirt of Wu Zetian is still in the palace. Besides, a lot of Buddha statues, the Buddhist Scriptures, porcelains and four sariras are still collected in the palace of the Famen Temple.

Baoji Culture