Temple of the Gateway to Dharma Famen Si
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The Famen Si temple complex - 10km/6mi north of the village of Fufeng, which itself is some 100km/60mi west of Xi'an - is famous for its pagoda, in which is kept one of Shakyamuni's finger bones. The bone was brought here on the instructions of the Tang Emperor Xianzong (806-821).
The thirteen-story brick pagoda, 28m/92ft high, was rebuilt in 1988. It towers up in front of the main hall of the monastery which houses a statue of the Buddha. To the sides stand a bell-tower and a drum tower. On the façade of the main hall can be seen an inscription dated 978.
Shakyamuni's finger bone, known to Buddhists as the ''Holy Bone'', and three copies of it (known as the ''Shadow Bones''), were discovered in April 1987 in an underground treasure chamber below the foundations of the previous pagoda from the year 1579. This palace, which had remained hidden for 1000 years, contained much valuable treasure from the Tang period (618-907), including numerous objects in gold, silver, semi-precious stones, jade or lacquer, many porcelain vessels and woven silks. In 1988 a museum was built here specially to house these finds.
The thirteen-story brick pagoda, 28m/92ft high, was rebuilt in 1988. It towers up in front of the main hall of the monastery which houses a statue of the Buddha. To the sides stand a bell-tower and a drum tower. On the façade of the main hall can be seen an inscription dated 978.
Shakyamuni's finger bone, known to Buddhists as the ''Holy Bone'', and three copies of it (known as the ''Shadow Bones''), were discovered in April 1987 in an underground treasure chamber below the foundations of the previous pagoda from the year 1579. This palace, which had remained hidden for 1000 years, contained much valuable treasure from the Tang period (618-907), including numerous objects in gold, silver, semi-precious stones, jade or lacquer, many porcelain vessels and woven silks. In 1988 a museum was built here specially to house these finds.
Hours:
9am-4:30pm
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