Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi'an

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda or Giant Wild Goose Pagoda ( 大雁塔) is one of the most famous Buddhist monuments in China. Located in southern Xi'an, about 4 kilometers from downtown, the structure stands inside the Da Ci'en temple complex, built in 652 by crown prince Li Zhi in honor of his mother Empress Wende. Today, the walled-off temple area is surrounded by big, beautifully landscaped squares on the north and south side.

In the seventh century, monk Xuan Zuang, who presided over the temple affairs, arranged for the pagoda to be built to house the thousands of copies and translations of Buddhist manuscripts he had brought from India. The temple, still the most famous in Xi'an, covered over 24 hectares and was home to 300 monks.

Initially, the square Indian-style pagoda had five stories and stood 54 meters high, but it was raised by another five stories and more than ten meters after the original collapsed due to improper construction techniques and materials. This reconstruction work, however, went to waste in 1556, when a massive earthquake knocked three stories off it, leaving it to stand at its current height of 64.5 meters, consisting of seven stories.

It's a long climb to the seventh floor. (Image: Radio86)After the earthquake, the pagoda underwent two more major renovations, one in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and another one in 1964. The current buildings date from the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). The temple and pagoda have been under the protection of the state since 1961.

Admission to the temple area costs 25 yuan. There you can admire the beautiful Ming-style buildings with curved roofs housing altars, Buddhist statues, tapestries and other relics, and stroll through the park discovering the numerous shrines, while listening to chants and enjoying the subtle fragrance of burning incense. There are also beautiful Chinese-style gazebos in the park where you can rest your feet after a stroll along the meticulously kept footpaths. In addition, an ancient temple bell is displayed on the pagoda's western side.

If you want to climb the seven stories to admire the view from the top floor of the pagoda, you need to pay another fee of 20 yuan. Inside the structure, a red wooden staircase winds its way up to the top, with landings between each story offering fantastic vistas of the city in four directions. On your way to the top you will see religious relics, such as Buddha's footprints, statues other artwork and displays, including a scale model of the pagoda.

The temple area offers many places for meditation and prayer. (Image: Radio86)According to the Travel China Guide, the name of the pagoda comes from a legend depicting the beginnings of the Buddhist practice of not eating meat. According to the story, a group of hungry devotees were praying for meat just as a goose flew over and dropped to the ground in front of them. Instead of eating it, the monks took it as a sign from Buddha to be more pious and became vegetarians.

Admission to temple area: 25 yuan
Climbing the pagoda: 20 yuan
Opening hours: 8:00 - 18:00