Famen Temple

Background

Famen Temple is in Famen Town, Fufeng County, Baoji, about 120 km west of Xi'an. The True Relic Pagoda forms its central axis, with the gate and front hall before it and the main hall behind, preserving the "pagoda in front, hall behind" layout of early Chinese Buddhist temples. Today's pagoda is a thirteen-storey brick tower rebuilt from survey drawings of the Ming pagoda made before it collapsed, with viewing platforms inside; the crypt beneath has been restored to its Tang form, built of white marble and limestone slabs, and the finger relic rests at its centre. On the temple's west side, the Famen Temple Museum displays gold and silver ware, secret-colour porcelain and silks from the crypt, including a full set of Tang court tea utensils such as tea grinders and bowls; the thirteen pieces of secret-colour porcelain found here also showed for the first time what this legendary ware actually looked like. One view holds that the temple was founded under the Eastern Han emperors Huan and Ling. It was already large by the Northern Wei, was almost destroyed during the Northern Zhou suppression of Buddhism, and was rebuilt under the Sui. The Tang was its golden age: Tang emperors received the Buddha's relic seven times, each time donating generously, and the temple grew to 24 courtyards. An earthquake in Guanzhong in the Longqing era of the Ming toppled the Tang timber pagoda, which was rebuilt as a thirteen-storey brick pagoda in 1579. In August 1981 half of the pagoda collapsed in heavy rain; the crypt was opened in April 1987 during work on the foundations, the rebuilt pagoda was completed in 1988, and the Famen Temple Museum opened that November. In 2009 the new Famen Temple Cultural Scenic Area opened beside the temple, with the Namaste Dagoba at the end of its long avenue.

Local customs

• Visit the True Relic Pagoda and its crypt to see how a Tang crypt was built
• take your time in the Famen Temple Museum with its gold and silver ware, secret-colour porcelain and silks
• walk the long avenue of the scenic area to the Namaste Dagoba.

Travel tips

• The site is divided into the old temple and pagoda area and the newer cultural scenic area
• a walking visit takes about half a day. Protect yourself from the sun in summer and keep warm in winter. Tickets and opening hours are as officially announced. From Xi'an it is about two hours' drive west to Famen Town, Fufeng County
• you can also take a coach from Xi'an towards Baoji, get off at Fufeng and change to local transport. Check times at the station.
• Spring and autumn are the best seasons
• winter has fewer visitors and allows a leisurely visit.