Situated some 118 kilometers (73 miles) west of Xian, the Famen Temple will appeal to travelers who are journeying west to explore the ancient Silk Road. The temple gained the name Famen (which means the initial approach to become a Buddhist believer) in the Tang dynasty when a wooden four-storey structure was built replacing the original Ashoka Stupa built in the Eastern Han dynasty. The temple with the "the Real Spirit Pagoda," in it enjoyed the "forefather of pagodas and temples in Central Shaanxi," for the finger bones of Sakyamuni - the founder of Buddhism.

In 1985, the underground palace was accidentally discovered when the provincial government in tempt to rebuilding the stupa. This palace is 21.2 meters long with an area of 31.84 square meters and boasts the largest of this kind ever discovered with the remains of the finger bones of Sakyamuni and valuable relics that enshrined these precious bones.

Finger Bones of Sakyamuni (Buddhist Relics)

About a century after the death of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, the ancient Indian King Ashoka decided to distribute a selection of Sakyamuni's relics to many places in the known world where Buddhism had gained adherents. The Famen Temple was awarded a finger bone. Among the four discovered so far, the third kept in a five-layered marble chest, which was retained in a secret niche in the back room is tubular-like, 37millimeters long, white and yellow in color. It has been authenticated a bier stone, which means it is the only real. And the other three were "shadow bones," imitations of identical color and shape to protect the real one. The first one was kept in an eight-layered chest in the back room.

Many other Buddhist relics discovered at the Famen Temple include gold brocades, porcelains and gold plate. The exquisite patterns on a embroidered skirts that The Empress Wu Zetian had consecrated were made out of gold threads, only 0.1 millimeter thick each, finer than a hair inter-twisted with silk thread. It reveals the superb technique of gold brocade in the Tang dynasty. The secret seladon made of Chinese green porcelain is unique for its very complicate and fine process techniques, which were kept secret, hence the name "secret seladon". The findings are noteworthy for its research value of Chinese porcelains. The gold gilded monk's cane is the most precious Buddhist gold and silver relic.

Admission: 15 (RMB)