Famen Temple

Famen Temple is located in Famen town, Fufeng County, 120 kilometers west of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province,China. It was widely regarded as the "ancestor of pagoda temples in Guanzhong area".

Importance of Famen Temple
Famen Temple is a famous Buddhist temple which holds the genuine relics of Gautama Buddha (Sakyamuni). Patronized by a succession of emperors, Famen Temple became one of the four most sacred Buddhist sanctuaries in China. It is a fascinating place with an intriguing history and it is worth making effort to visit.

Famen literally means Buddhism Door, meaning the initial approach to become a Buddhist believer. Famen Temple is famous for housing the four important Buddhist relics linked to Sakyamuni (Guatama Siddhartha) himself, the founder of Buddhism, including reputedly the remains of his finger bone. This would be the only remaining fragment of  "the Sage of the Chakras"  in the world today.

Legend of Famen Temple
The Famen Temple was first set up during East Han Dynasty. In the year 147 AD, King Asoka of India traveled to Asia, preaching Buddhism. In China, he established Famen Temple and left the fingers of Buddha to be enshrined here. Tang Dynasty Emperors revered this sacred relic and regularly walked through the streets with the fingers followed by a huge worshipping procession. The Tang Emperors offered wonderful gifts to the fingers in an attempt to better their predecessors' offerings.

This legend was actually dismissed until 1981 when heavy rains revealed the crypt, shrine and underground palace completely by accident. Among the large findings unearthed from the crypt are invaluable treasures of the Tang Dynasty and the only known relics of Sakyamuni's finger bones. The site is still seen as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists today.

Discovery of the Four Finger Sarira Bones
The original wooden four-storey Famen Temple Pagoda fell down due to an earthquake in 1569. The rebuilt thirteen-storey brick building also collapsed in 1981 due to constantly rainy season. In the course of rebuilding the pagoda in 1987, an underground vault was discovered under the base of the pagoda. A great amount of Buddhist relics were found including four finger sarira relics.

This unprecedented discovery ignited great excitement among Buddhists, archaeologists, and tourists all over the world. It was a major event not only in the history of Buddhism, but also in the history of world civilization. Famen Temple was immediately acclaimed as "the ninth wonder of the world".