the museum where they keep the treasures
the First Mountain Gate entrance
and there is even a map of the complex
the sacred turtle
a shining buddha sitting in a lotusflower
you can donate your money here
All
that spilled blood made him convert to
Buddhism, which he liked to spread around the world. In 272 BC he promised relics of
Sakyamuni to
places that would build a pagoda for the relic. One of them was
Famen, which received a fingerbone.
Buddhism in China, and hence
Famen temple has seen periods of fame and decline. It's haydays were during the
Tang dynasty when emperors warshipped the
relic and donated large sums. It abruptly stopped in 874, at the end of the reign of the spoiled Tang emperor
Yizong.
The
underground crypt was closed and over the years completely forgotten.
During reconstruction works on the collapsed pagoda
the crypt with all its
treasures was rediscovered in 1987.
Since then the Famen Temple thrives and major extensions were
added like the148 meters high
Namaste Dagoba in 2009.
We visited Famen first in December 1997 and returned in
May 2004.
in December 1997 we have to buy a ticket at a small window
in May 2004 the complex looks quite different and much more open
watch out, he makes his move
the 13 story pagoda was restored in Ming style, underneath it they found the hidden crypt
