Famen Temple
法门寺
A royal temple known around the world for enshrining a Buddha finger relic of Shakyamuni. Treasures unearthed from its Tang dynasty underground palace shocked the world.
Famen Temple is located in Famen Town, Fufeng County. It was first built at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty and became a royal temple during the Tang dynasty, when successive emperors repeatedly welcomed the Buddha finger relic. In 1987, while the Ming-dynasty true-body pagoda was being rebuilt, workers discovered a Tang underground palace. It contained the Buddha finger relic and a large number of gold and silver vessels, secret-colour porcelain and silks offered by the Tang imperial household. It is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the Tang period. Today's Famen Temple cultural scenic area consists of the old temple, which includes the Ming pagoda, the Mahavira Hall and the Treasure Hall, and the newly built Buddha Light Avenue and Palms-Together Relic Pagoda. The Buddha Light Avenue is about 1.2 km long, lined with statues of bodhisattvas on both sides, and an electric shuttle runs within the scenic area for longer walks. It is recommended to visit the old temple and Treasure Hall first, then the Palms-Together Relic Pagoda for worship. The temple is about 100 km from central Baoji and 120 km from Xi'an. Tourist shuttles run from Xi'an West Bus Station and from Baoji. Peak-season admission is around CNY 100 (subject to official announcements), and photography is banned in some halls.
Opening hours
08:00–18:00 (earlier closing in winter)
Nearby sights
- Zhouyuan Site
- Hengqu Academy
- Jiucheng Palace Site
- Temple of the Duke of Zhou
- Wuzhangyuan Zhuge Liang Temple
- Honghegu Forest Park
- Liuying Clay Sculpture Village
- Diaoyutai (Jiang Ziya Fishing Platform)