Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda stands inside the Ci'en Temple in the southern suburbs of Xi'an. A celebrated ancient architecture across China, it has long been regarded as the symbol of the ancient capital Xi'an. According to legend, after the monk Xuanzang returned from India (ancient Tianzhu) with Buddhist scriptures, this pagoda was built specially for scripture translation and preservation.

The pagoda has a square layout and rests on a square platform about 45 meters wide and 5 meters high. It has seven storeys. The base is 25 meters long on each side, and the total height from the ground to the spire reaches 64 meters. Constructed of finely polished bricks with tight joints, the structure is extremely sturdy. Spiral staircases inside lead visitors all the way to the top. Each storey features four arched gateways, from which one can lean on railings and gaze far into the distance, enjoying a panoramic view of the ancient Chang'an cityscape.

Stone doors are set on all four sides of the ground floor, with exquisitely carved Buddha figures on the door lintels, said to be works of Yan Liben, a master painter of the Tang Dynasty. Embedded in brick niches on both sides of the southern gate are two stone steles — Preface to the Sacred Teachings of the Tang Sanzang and Record of the Preface to the Sacred Teachings of the Tang Sanzang — inscribed by Chu Suiliang, one of the four great calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty.

After the late Tang Dynasty, the temple was repeatedly damaged by wars and fires, and most halls were burned down. Only the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda stood tall and intact through the ages.

Inside the temple gate, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower face each other from east to west. Bells and drums served as time signals in Buddhist monasteries, giving rise to the traditional saying "Morning bell and evening drum". Hanging in the Bell Tower on the east is an iron bell cast in the Ming Dynasty. It weighs 15,000 kilograms and stands over 3 meters tall.

In the Tang Dynasty, scholars who passed the imperial civil service examinations would inscribe their names beneath the pagoda, a custom known as "Inscribing Names on the Wild Goose Pagoda", which prevailed for generations. Famous Tang painters including Wu Daozi and Wang Wei created numerous murals for Ci'en Temple, yet none of them survive today. Fortunately, delicate line carvings of the Tang Dynasty are well-preserved on the lintels and frames of the four stone gates at the base of the pagoda. The carved illustration of palaces on the lintel of the west stone gate is especially precious.

To the southeast of the pagoda lies a cluster of monks' pagodas, six of which were built in the Qing Dynasty. The Mahavira Hall is the core building of the temple, housing clay statues of the Three Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Arhats. It is the main venue for Buddhist worship and scripture chanting. The Dharma Hall is where Buddhist doctrines are preached, with a bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha enshrined inside.

The current layout of Ci'en Temple took shape in the Ming Dynasty, while most halls were rebuilt in the late Qing Dynasty. After renovation, the ancient pagoda remains magnificent. Incense curls up in the halls and flowers bloom throughout the courtyards. It is a world-famous scenic spot that attracts countless tourists from home and abroad.