Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Xuanzang, the eminent monk of Tang Dynasty, used to study in India from 629 to 645. He saw this kind of pagoda in India. When he was back home, for storing Buddhist text and figures of Buddha, he built a pagoda in Cien Temple imitating the structure of pagoda in India, and named it Goose Pagoda. One of the pagodas many functions were to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Monk Xuanzang.

Structure of Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is brick structure, square-pavilion pagoda. It is 64 meters high now. The tower footing is 4.2 meters high, 48.7 meters in l ength from north to south, about 45.7 meters from east to west. The tower bottom length is 25.5 meters in square taper shape.
 
There are nine rooms in the first and second layers, 7 rooms in the third and fourth layers and 5 rooms in five, six, seven, eighth layers1, 2, 3, 4, has seven layers, there are five layers 5 ,6,7,8, each have four coupons door. Inscriptions of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong are situated on its south.

The monk Xuanzang's statue stands in front of the temple area. From the fist five-layer structure to the seven-layer architecture now.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Da Ci’en Temple

Tourists may be confused that whether the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Da Ci’en Temple are the same place. Big Wild Goose Pagoda is an important and famous building located in the Da Ci’en Temple. If you want to see the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, you need to purchase the ticket of the Da Ci’en Temple. And if you want to climb the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, you need to buy extra ticket of Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
 

Da Ci’en Temple was built to memorize the mother of Emperor Li Zhi of Tang Dynasty. Big Wild Goose Pagoda was designed built to store the scroll of Buddhist scripture andstatue of Buddha from India and its surrounding places by Xuan Zang, a famous monk in China.

What to See in Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Best Places to Take Photos of Big Wild Goose Pagoda

North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda: North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the largest fountain square in Asia. North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the best positions to take photos of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and statue of Buddha.
 

South Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda: At South Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda, you can get the photo of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the statue of Xuanzang.
 

Music Fountain of Big Wild Goose Pagoda: Music Fountain of Big Wild Goose Pagoda is also a good position to take photos of Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
 

Joy City: The 4th floor viewing platform at Joy City at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square is a classic photographing point to take photos with the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

Music Fountain of Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Performance Times:

12:00 - 12:10

16:00 - 16:10

19:00 - 19:10

21:00 - 21:10

The performances of 12:00 and 16:00 was canceled every Tuesday.

And please note that the performance times may be adjusted when influenced by weather or other elements.

The Inclined Pagoda

Because of repeated man-made sabotage coupled with its structural problems, Big Wild Goose Pagoda was discovered to incline since 1719. In the 1960s, as the surrounding excessive exploitation of groundwater of the pagoda, the water pressure dropped significantly, causing a wide range of uneven ground subsidence and accelerating the sink of the tower. At 1985, it had been tilted 998 mm. To 1996, the ancient pagoda tilted to the northwest of 1010.5 mm, with an average incline of one millimeter per year. After more than 20 years’ comprehensive renovation, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda’s situation has become stable. In 2005 the amount of tilt is 1001.9 mm. Until 2011, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is no more inclining, and the incline returns 1 mm every year.

Travel Guide of Big Wild Goose Pagoda