Introduction to Underground Palace

Early Development of Underground Palaces: Northern Wei to Sui Dynasty. In India, after a relic was placed in a reliquary, it was usually enshrined within a chamber at the center of a stupa. The storage of relics and the shape of the stupas were adapted and changed after the introduction of Buddhism into China. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, reliquaries were placed inside stone caskets and then buried in rammed earth under the base of a pagoda. At that time, the Chinese tomb-style underground palaces had not yet been integrated into Buddhist practice. After the Sui dynasty, rectangular or square stone slabs were laid on the top and around the four sides of the buried stone caskets, and then surrounded by brick walls. This represents one of the earlier models of underground palaces in the transitional phase from the Northern Wei Dynasty, when stone caskets were buried in rammed earth under the base of a pagoda, to the Tang Dynasty when underground palaces were constructed. Full Development of Underground Palaces: Tang Dynasty. The underground palaces were fully developed during the Tang Dynasty. The finest and most famous example was found at Famen Temple. It was built according to eh specifications of an imperial tomb and consists of seven parts: stairs leading down, a platform, a a corridor, an antechamber, a central chamber, a rear chamber, and a secret inche beneath the rear chamber. During the Tang Dynasty, underground palaces were modeled on tombs and were often built of brick and stone beneath pagodas. Normally, there is a corridor leading from the entrance, which is blocked by stone doors and painted with a pair of warriors. The walls inside are filled with paintings depicting Mount Sumeru, Arhats, and Apsaras. The stone tower that houses the reliquary sits upon a brick sumeru throne within the chamber. It is inscribed with the words "Sakyamuni Buddha Relic Canopy." This particular layout was adopted and used in most underground palaces after the Tang Dynasty.