Big Wild Goose Pagoda

--- It is an architectural marvel

Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Da Yan Ta ) is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It is located in the Da Ci'en Temple (Great Kindness and Grace) southern suburb of Xian city, about 4 kilometers from the downtown of the city.

The Pagoda was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) is a square pyramid and stands at 60m high and seven storey's tall. It was for the study of Buddhist scriptures. Although it has been attacked by centuries of weather, war and seismic activity, which destroyed most of the original material of the structure, a pagoda by this name and style still exists on the site.

Legend has it that the Temple was built by Emperor Tang Gaozong to honor his mother, Empress Wende. The Temple is also said to have been built to house and protect Buddhist scriptures collected in India by the Chinese monk, Xuan Zang.

The Pagoda is an architectural marvel. It was built with layers of bricks without any cement. The bracket style used in traditional Chinese architecture was also used in the construction of the pagoda. The seams between each layer of bricks and the " prisms' on each side of the pagoda are clearly visible. The grand body of the pagoda with its solemn appearance, simple style and high structure, is indeed a good example of Chinese traditional architecture.

Surrounding Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the scenery is also quite charming, especially the square north of the Da Ci'en Temple. Covering about 110,000 square meters (131563 square yards) plus 20,000 square meters (23920.6 square yards) of water area, it holds many records: in Asia, it is the biggest Tang-culture square, the biggest fountain and waterscape square, and the largest-scale sculptures area. In the world, it has the most benches, the longest light-belt, and the largest-scale acoustic complex.

The entire square is composed of waterscape fountains, a cultural square, gardens and tourist paths. There you can taste real Chinese culture and traditions and fully enjoy the truly attractive views. With reliefs on the theme of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, 200-meter-long (656-foot-long) sculpture groups, 8 groups of sculpted figures, 40 relieves on the land, and 22 styles of musical fountains, it has become a must-see when you visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

back to Xian City Guide

• Terracotta Army
• Ancient City Wall
• Bell Tower
• Great Mosque
• Famen Temple
• Forest of Steles
• Huaqing Hot Spring
• Mt. Huashan
• Famers' cave houses
• Tang Dynasty Show

Shaanxi Xian Featured tours

Recommended Multi-destination Tours include Xian