Famen Temple

Famen Temple is located in Famen Town, 10 kilometers north of Fufeng County, Baoji City. It is a famous Buddhist temple with a long history. Famen Temple was built in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is said that in order to promote Buddhism, Ashoka of India distributed Buddhist relics to various places, where Buddhist pagodas were built for worship. Famen Temple is one of them, and it is the largest one. Because of the placement of Sakyamuni's phalanx relics, it has become a Buddhist holy land that the whole country looks up to.

Famen Temple

Famen Temple, also known as "real pagoda", is located in Baoji City, the hometown of Emperor Yan and the hometown of bronzes. It is a national key cultural relic protection unit

. It is said that it was built in the 11th year of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 68), with a history of more than 1900 years. It is known as the "ancestor of Guanzhong Pagoda Temple". It was called "asokang Temple" before the Zhou and Wei dynasties, renamed "Chengshi Daochang" when Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, and renamed "Famen Temple" when Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty. Famen Temple is known as the royal temple, because of the placement of Sakyamuni's phalanx relic, it has become a Buddhist holy land that the whole country looks up to. The Buddhist pagoda of Famen Temple is known as the "pagoda of protecting the country and the real body". The Famen temple cultural scenic spot where the temple is located is a national AAAAA tourist attraction.

The underground palace of Famen Temple is the largest underground palace under the pagoda ever seen. The underground palace of Famen Temple in Baoji has unearthed such Buddhist treasures as Sakyamuni Buddha's phalanx relic, copper futu, eight treasure letters, silver flower double wheel and twelve ring stick. The treasure house of Famen Temple has more than 2000 pieces of Tang Dynasty national treasures unearthed in the underground palace of Famen Temple, which is the largest temple in the world.

On October 16, 2014, the 27th World Buddhist fraternity was held in Famen Temple, Baoji. At the 2018 Northwest China Tourism Marketing Conference and tourism equipment exhibition, he was shortlisted in the list of "100 wonders of Northwest China".

Historical evolution

The initial establishment of Famen

Famen Temple is located in Famen Town, 10 kilometers north of Fufeng County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, 90 kilometers west of Baoji City and 110 kilometers east of Xi'an city.

It is said that it was built in 68 A.D. in the 11th year of the Ming emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Famen Temple has a four storey wooden pagoda for its relic. Under the pagoda there is an underground palace. In the underground palace there is a coffin made of red sandalwood, in which the Buddha's phalanx relic is held in a gold bottle. The wooden pagoda is called "true body relic pagoda". The temple was built because of the pagoda, formerly known as Asoka temple. After the death of Sakyamuni Buddha, his body was cremated to form a relic. In the third century B.C., after Ashoka unified India, in order to promote Buddhism, he divided the Buddhist relics into 84000 parts, so that the ghosts and gods were sent to nanyanfuti to build pagodas around the world. There are 19 in China, and Famen Temple is the fifth.

The wooden pagoda in Famen Temple, which worships the relic of Buddha's bone, was destroyed repeatedly in the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the civil war between the northern and Southern Dynasties. In particular, tuobatao, Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, adopted Cui Hao's suggestion, banned Buddhism, destroyed Buddhist scriptures, Buddha statues and pagoda temple. As a result, the relic pagoda of Famen Temple was doomed to ruin. But at that time, there were still believers constantly coming to burn incense and worship Buddha, which was called "holy tomb" by people at that time. In 558 ad, a descendant of the royal family of the Northern Wei Dynasty, mu tuobayu of Qizhou restored the Ashoka temple and the relic pagoda. In 555 A.D., Famen Temple became one of the four major Buddhist resorts in China.

In the third year of kaihuang reign of Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty (583 AD), it was renamed "Chengshi Daochang", and the relic pagoda was called "Chengshi Daochang helita". In the second year of Renshou (602), right NEISHI Li Min opened the tower for the second time. In 618 A.D., Chengshi Daochang was changed to Famen Temple, and the pagoda was also called Famen Temple relic pagoda. In the same year, the Famen Temple was unfortunately burned. After the flames burst into the sky, only the remains of the tower foundation were left.

In the fifth year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan reign (632 AD), Zhang Deliang, the governor of Qizhou, built the Wangyun hall on the base of the tower. The hall replaced the tower with a four storey building. In 660, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty welcomed the Buddha bone in Luoyang, the eastern capital of the Tang Dynasty. Three years later, it was sent back to the underground palace of Famen Temple in 662, and ordered monks Huigong and Yifang to rebuild the pagoda of Famen Temple. Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty once gave away 5000 coins and 5000 pieces of silk to the temple. Royal ministers also donated money one after another. Fayuan Zhulin records its grand occasion: "at that time, the Taoism and customs inside and outside the capital connected 200 Li, and the exchanges continued.". Zhang's inscription on the true body pagoda of wuyouwang Temple once described the rebuilt pagoda of Famen Temple as "pulling out a pillar to carry heaven". It can be seen that asokang temple is also known as "wuyouwang Temple", and the name of the pagoda is also known as "true body pagoda of wuyouwang Temple". In the fourth year of Jinglong reign of emperor Zhongzong of Tang Dynasty (A.D. 710), the relic pagoda was inscribed as "the great sage's real body pagoda", also known as "the national protection's real body pagoda".

In 922 A.D., Li Maozhen, the former governor of the Tang Dynasty and king of Qi, repaired the wooden pagoda, added a pillar in the heart of the pagoda, and covered the top of the pagoda with green glazed tiles. Xue Changxu, a man of that time, praised him in his "records of the restoration of Famen Temple pagodas and temples by the king of Qin" for being "extremely beautiful and beautiful, wonderful and capable", which is comparable to the big and small wild goose pagodas in Chang'an city. After the construction of Li Maozhen, the four storey wooden tower was maintained until the late Ming Dynasty.

Worship in Tang Dynasty

During the 200 years of Tang Dynasty, there were eight emperors, Gaozong, Wuhou, Zhongzong, suzong, Dezong, Xianzong, Yizong and Xizong, who welcomed and offered two Buddhist relics. Every time we welcome and see off, we have a great influence on the government and the public, and the emperor worships us. There is no one else with such a high level. According to historical records, "once thirty years have passed, people will be able to make peace with each other at the age of one year.". On the 4th of the first month of the 15th year of Xiantong (874 A.D.), Li Fu, the emperor of Tang Dynasty, sent back the Buddha's bone for the last time. According to the Buddhist rituals, he sealed the Buddha's finger relic and thousands of rare treasures into the underground palace under the pagoda, and made offerings with the mandala of Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, all the emperors believed in Buddhism and provided for the relic relic relic devoutly. The temple was large and small, which made Famen Temple become the royal temple and the Buddhist holy land that the whole world looked up to. The pagoda is known as the "pagoda of protecting the country and the real body". < I atlas data source < / I

At the end of Tang Dynasty, Yingying Buddha bone became more and more intense and reached its climax. The so-called "welcome Buddha bone" is to welcome the Buddha bone collected in the underground palace under the tower base to the palace of Chang'an city every 30 years. The grandest is the 14th year of Xiantong (873 A.D.) of Yizong of Tang Dynasty. It took two years to prepare for the invitation. At that time, from Chang'an in the capital to Famen Temple, there were horses and chariots day and night, and there were food and drink along the way, which was called "Wu Wu Wu Tan Shi". The guard of honor for the invitation was guided by the Royal Royal imperial army with distinctive armor and complete swords and staff, escorted by the Minister of culture and military, supported by famous monks and monks, with banners blocking out the sun and drumming. Along the way, there were full of pious worship A good man and a good woman. The streets of Chang'an City were tied with silk to tie up various colored buildings. Emperor Yizong also personally patrolled the fumen tower to greet the ceremony, while the officials and scholars worshipped along the street. The bones of the Buddha are first invited to the palace for three days, and then sent to the temples in the capital in turn. Civil and military officials and rich families all fought for money and silk. People from all over the world came to pay respects to the old and children, and even severed their arms to show their piety. After this invitation, the underground palace was closed and isolated for 1113 years. Famen temple also suffered misfortune in the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty destroyed Buddhism on a large scale in the fifth year of Huichang (845 A.D.), which is called "Huichang Dharma disaster" in history. Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty once ordered the destruction of the Buddha's phalanx relic, but before that, the monks prepared several shadow bones (imitations) of the Buddha's phalanx relic to prevaricate the emperor's life and hide the real body of Sakyamuni Buddha's phalanx.

Song Dynasty imperial Buddha courtyard

The Famen Temple in Song Dynasty inherited the grand momentum of the royal temple in Tang Dynasty, and was restored to the largest scale. At that time, only one of the 24 "bathhouse" could bathe thousands of people a day. Huizong of the Song Dynasty once wrote the word "emperor Buddha" on the mountain gate. During the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Famen Temple was still a famous temple in Guanzhong. In the "Sutra tablet", there were 5000 volumes of Sutra copied by monks. Jin people also carved "steles of poetry" praising the pagodas: "three wind eaves oppress the land of Lu, nine wheels strengthen Qinchuan.".

The decline of Ming and Qing Dynasties

After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Famen Temple gradually declined. In 1569 A.D., an earthquake occurred in Fengxiang Prefecture. After hundreds of years of history, the four-level wooden tower of the Tang Dynasty collapsed. In the seventh year of Wanli reign of emperor Shenzong of Ming Dynasty (1579 AD), local gentlemen Yang Yuchen and Dang Wanliang donated money to build the pagoda. It took 30 years to build a brick Pagoda with eight edges and thirteen levels. It is 47 meters high. The edges are made of carved brick. Bells are hung at the corner of the arch. When the breeze passes, the bells are jingling, showing the sanctity of Buddhism. The first tower gate on the ground faces south. On the East, South, West and north sides, there are exquisite stone carvings, namely "futu yaori", "Zhenshen pagoda", "Sheli Feixia" and "meiyang town". On the northeast, northwest, southwest and Southeast sides, there are Eight Trigram runes of Qian, Kan, gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun and DUI. From the second floor to the eighth floor, there are brackets and railings. From the ninth floor, the eaves are made of green bricks. There are eight niches on each floor from the second floor to the twelfth floor of the pagoda. Each niches is dedicated to one to three bronze Buddhas. Beside the Buddha statues, there are Scripture boxes and iron nets. The top of the tower is made of bronze, with three pieces connected to form a gourd shape, and eight regular script characters "made in the 37th year of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty" are cast on it. Taking a panoramic view of the whole relic tower, the side length of the tower base is 27 meters, and the height is 1.8 meters. The height of the temple tower is 60.25 meters after the addition of the tower base, body and top, which is towering and magnificent. During the Longqing period of the Ming Dynasty, craftsmen who repaired Famen Temple once witnessed the treasure chest containing Buddha bones in the underground palace. According to the records of Fufeng County annals, "in the Longqing period of the Ming Dynasty, the pagoda collapsed. Qiqicangshizhi

Chinese PinYin : Fa Men Si