Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a five-story brick structure about 53 meters high in ancient times, is located in the south of Xi'an city. Originally built during the Tang Dynasty in 648, after the original collapsed, a new, more imposing pagoda was built by Empress Wu Zetian, and renovations were made during the Ming Dynasty. Today, it has seven floors and a height of 64 meters and looks more grandiose.

Origin of the Name

As for the reason why it is called Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it has an interesting legend. According to historical records, Buddhism divided into two branches, for one of which eating meat was not a taboo. One day, they did not buy meat to eat. At this time, a monk saw a group of large wild geese flying by and said, "We are not buying meat today. I hope the merciful Bodhisattva will give us some." At the end of the prayer, the leader of the wild geese broke his wings and fell to the ground. All the monks were startled and believed that the Bodhisattva granted the wish to order them to be more pious. Later, they established a pagoda where the wild goose fell and stopped eating meat. It is the origin of the name of the pagoda.

Facts of The Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the most famous Buddhist buildings in China because of its religious and historical position. As part of the ancient Silk Road, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list on June 22, 2014. The purpose of the pagoda's construction was to house a series of Buddhist writings that the monk Xuanzang had brought with him after a trip to India. Later, it became the most important translation center for Buddhist texts. At the same time, it also served to systematize Buddhist doctrines in China.

The pagoda is surrounded by complexes of religious buildings, and is a part of the Ci'en Temple. The temple is an active Buddhist place where monks and workers live. It is nice to walk around the temple and look at the wonderful works of Buddhist art. Near the pagoda, a plaza is built where several sculptures stand with interesting historical stories, there is also a musical fountain with an area of about 110,000 square meters. It has 1360 sets of pumps, 1124 sets of transducers, 3300 sets of lampion and more than 2,000 sets of nozzles in total. In addition, it is equipped with a high-tech lighting system and professional audio systems.

Without a doubt, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a very attractive place with rich history and culture. It will be more interesting to visit it with a professional guide.