Wild Goose Pagodas, Xi'an

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Xuanzang fue un monje , gran viajero , digamos que coleccionista y erudito , que escribió , durante la dinastía Tang el libro : "Peregrinaje al Oeste" , en el que cuenta el viaje que hizo por la Ruta de la Seda y por los desiertos hasta llegar a la India , que era la cuna del budismo .
El viaje duró 17 años y pasó por 100 paises en los que consiguió estatuas de Buda , 657 tipos de sutras y varias reliquias de Buda
Cuando volvió a Xian el Emperador Gaozong (628-683) , le autorizó a construir el templo y le nombró abad . Mandó traducir los Sutras que ocuparon 1.335 volumenes y este ha sido uno de los más grandes trabajos de traducción de la historia


Xuanzang was a monk, a great traveler, let´s say that a collector and a scholar, who wrote, during the Tang Dynasty, a book named "Pilgrimage to the West", in which he described the trip that took him through the Silk Road and the deserts, to reach India, which was the birthplace of Buddhism.
The journey lasted 17 years and went through 100 countries in which he got Buddha statues, 657 types of sutras and several relics of the Buddha
When he returned to Xian , the Emperor Gaozong (628-683), authorized him to build the temple and he was appointed as abbot .He ordered to translate Sutras , which occupied 1,335 volumes and this has been one of the largest translation work of history

The gardens surrounding the Pagoda were immaculate. I got a bonus treat when I was there because there was a Buddhist ceremony taking place in one of the side gardens. They allowed me to quietly watch as they conducted their sacred ceremony.

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The topless Small Wild Goose Pagoda has a name which is similar to another pagoda, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. People celebrated its 1300th birthday on 2007/1/1. With the surprising rejuvenation after 70 earthquakes in its life, it’s unfair for it to be ignored by visitors.

The topless look was caused by an earthquake. But why did I mention its rejuvenation? An earthquake split its body in 1487, but another earthquake which happened 34 years later made the crack disappear, so the pagoda recovered. The same miracles happened 3 times.

For me, I prefer the atmosphere here, quiet and comfortable even on hot summer days, compared to the crowds of people at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It’s the best place to relax from chaos outside, to imagine the old stories of the pagoda and the city. Not only do the old buildings attract me here, but also the yard for showing the sculptural stone columns which were put in front of the gate in ancient times. Besides, from 8:00 to 11:30, from 13:30 to 17:00, every half an hour there is a Chinese classical musical performance in a room, just several minutes long. If you are tired, why don’t you stop for a while?

Also, you can visit a new museum-Xi'an Museum, the ticket is included. There are many cultural relic exhibitions, including 3 national treasures.

Price:50(including Xi'an museum)

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Another of the must-see stops on a China tour is the big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an. It was built originally to house the first Buddist scriptures and artifacts brought to China from India. The grounds are immense, and part of ongoing restoration. Surrounding the Pagoda itself are other buildings, housing a temple and offices and some beautiful gardens for prayers or simple contemplation.

There are many pages by other VT'ers that contain all the details about this site, I found it a particularly welcoming, restful (although there was some restoration work occurring during our visit) and placed in a wonderful setting. There were places where you could sit and see nothing but the ancient trees and and blooming flowers, and others where the skyline of the modern city peeked over the lush greenery. There must have been great attention to feng shui paid in the situation and surroundings of this site. More than any of the places we visited in Beijing, there was a real spiritual feeling here.

In my opinion, the Big Wild Goose pagoda was a good visit, but the Xiaoyan (Small Wild Goose) Pagoda was much better. Less people and better scenery in my opinion. Since everyone else commented on the history of the pagodas, I won't bother boring you with more.

One thing I did not see any comments on were the small horse stakes at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Set of on the side yard is a large variety of these ancient stakes taken from the provicial area.

Historically made with a native animal on the top, each one has a folk tale to go along with them. Functionally used to tie horses, many communities let them stand for many generations after for decorations.

(for a better sampling of these stakes, visit the Forest of Stones museum)

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The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is located in south of Xi'an. It's convenient to visit it, by taxi or by bus.

It was set up in Tang Dynasty, about 1300 years ago. Now it is the symbol of my city, Xi'an, you can find it from postcards. Besides, it's also the famous building in the Buddhist religion.

Do you want to know its history? You know, there are four classical literatures in ancient China. One of it is Go West. One of the roles of it is a monk named Xuanzang. Realistically, it took Xuanzang 17 years to bring back over a thousand volumes of Buddhist materials from India to Xi'an, the capital of China in that time. The emperor ordered to establish a temple and a pagoda for him to store the Buddhist materials. The temple is Daci'en Temple, and the pagoda is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

On the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, there is the greatest fountain in Asia. Enjoying it in summer night is good.

If someone wants to know about the real soul of this ancient city, the best choice is visiting the Pagoda under moonlight. I've seen it several times, and every time I'm affected. The yellow moon, the ancient pagoda......

And, if you visit it in the day, walk around the Square, you will see interesting people practicing drawing and calligraphy.

It was built by Master Xuan Zang around 652 AD during the Tang Dynastyafter he had travelled to India via the Silk Road. It was at this temple that he translated the Buddhist scriptures he had obtained in India into Chinese.

The temple itself contains a Tang Dynasty buildings chart and traces the monk’s journey through India and Burma. The pagoda has been reconstructed many times over the centuries. Today it is a 7 storeyed, 64 metre structure with four arched doors in each direction of every storey.
There are stairs leading up to the top floor and visitors can have a bird’s eye view of the whole city.

Tickets are 20 Yuan with another 20 Yuan to climb up the pagoda.

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The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is another of Xian's attractions that is highly popular with bus tour groups. For me it was the most disappointing of the sites that I visited in Xian.
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is part of the a very large Jianfu Temple complex. The temple is very important in Buddhist history in China for it was here that Monk Yijing translated 56 Sanskirt scriptures into Chinese back in the late 7th century. These translations became very important the Buddhist teachings subsequently taught in China. Today the temple is no longer active and most of the buildings are used to sell souveniors. Outside of the pagoda itself, I found the only other interesting feature of the Jianfu Temple was the great bronze bell that stands 3.55m tall and is over 8,000 kilograms. Otherwise the grounds feel more like a park rather than a place of worship.
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda stands in the middle of the complex. It was constructed out of mustard yellow brick between 707 and 709 A.D. and originally stood 15 stories high. An earthquake damaged the pagoda in 1556knocking off some of the top tower. It is possible to climb up to the top of the pagoda for Y20. If you decide to do so, remember that the climb is steep, especially as you reach the top. The views from the top are good if you do not mind the persistant haze the blankets Xian.