Small Wild Goose Pagoda is located inside Jianfu (Advocate Blessing) Temple, about one kilometer south of Xi'an city proper. Small Wild Goose Pagoda and its large neighbor, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, are two important Buddhist sites, dating back to the Tang Dynasty, 1300 years ago.

The two pagodas were a symbol of Chang'an (Constant Peace) city. Xi'an (West Peace) was called Chang'an until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when Beijing became the capital of China. Chang'an had served as the capital during ten dynasties.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda was erected in the period 707 to 709 AD. It was named after its larger predecessor, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, five kilometers away. The building was originally a multi-eave, square-brick 45 meter-tall structure, with 15 storeys. A big earthquake in 1556 reduced it to the present 13 storeys. A crack opened from the top to the base and the upper two tiers toppled off. Though the crack was later repaired, the top two storeys were never replaced. The 13-storey structure later suffered countless other earthquakes, yet it is still remarkably well-preserved. Inside the pagoda, there is a staircase that allows visitors access to the top.