Xian Famen Temple Guide

The Famen Temple is located in Famen Town 120 kilometers west of Xi'an. It is a famous temple in China. It was built in ancient times to house the bones of the fingers of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. Famen means the initial approach to become a Buddhist believer. The Famen Temple was constructed in the Eastern Han Dynasty because of the stupa there. The Famen Temple stupa is famous for the fact that it houses a finger bone of Sakyamuni, and the Famen Temple and its stupa enjoyed the reputation of being the "forefather of pagodas and temples in Central Shaanxi".

The Famen Temple was originally called Asoka Stupa. During the years of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty it was reconstructed into a wooden four-storey structure. In 1985, the Shaanxi Provincial Government decided to rebuild the stupa imitating the brick one from the Ming Dynasty. While clearing the stupa foundation, the underground palace was accidentally discovered.
For more than 1,000 years, the palace had housed the remains of the finger bones of Sakyamuni and other valuable relics that enshrined these precious bones. According to tablet inscriptions discovered in the underground palace, the finger bones (Buddhist relics) had always been kept inside the Famen Stupa. The Buddhist relics discovered at the Famen Temple are the only real finger bones that have been discovered and maintained in the world. There are many other relics that unearthed with the underground palace. They are considered to be national treasures.
Location:Famen Town of Fufeng County, Xian; Opening Hours:08:00-17:30 (March to November); 8:30-17:00 (November to February); Contact number: + 86-10-58968802 Tickets: CNY120

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• Tang Dynasty Dance and Music
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• Terra-Cotta Warriors
• Mt. Hua
• The Great Mosque
• the Bell Tower
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• Shanxi Provincial History Museum
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• Xian Famen Temple
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