Giant Wild Goose Pagoda 大雁塔

About Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

Its present seven-storey brick form reflects rebuilding and repairs after the first tower was erected in 652. Look beyond the skyline silhouette: the brickwork imitates elements of timber construction, and the southern entrance preserves important Tang inscriptions connected with the translated scriptures. The surrounding modern squares are separate spaces from the temple and pagoda precinct.

The original five-storey pagoda, built of brick around a core of earth, deteriorated when weeds grew through its joints during the Wu Zhou period, and Wu Zetian (武则天) and court nobles funded its rebuilding as a seven-storey square brick tower. It was later raised to ten storeys in the Dali era (大历), then reduced again to seven storeys after fire damage, with its present form fixed by repairs in the Later Tang Changxing era (长兴), 930-933. Further repairs followed in the Ming dynasty; in 1604, a further brick layer was added over the Tang structure and its internal staircases were reinstalled.

Including its base, the pagoda stands 64.1 metres tall, with sides of 25 metres at its lowest storey tapering pyramidally upward; each storey junction is built with brackets and columns imitating timber construction, and interior murals depict Xuanzang's (玄奘) journey to India.

At the south entrance stand two steles bearing calligraphy by Chu Suiliang (褚遂良): one bears a preface composed by Emperor Taizong (唐太宗李世民) for the scriptures Xuanzang translated, dated to 648, and the other a companion text by Emperor Gaozong (唐高宗李治). The pagoda was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 1961 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2014 as part of the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor (丝绸之路：长安—天山廊道的路网).

What to look for

• The seven-storey square brick pagoda, with its progressively narrowing profile and timber-like architectural details.
• The paired Tang inscriptions at the southern doorway, written in Chu Suiliang’s calligraphic tradition.
• The carved stone doorway lintels, including Buddhist imagery.

Location & getting there

Getting to Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

Use Dayanta metro station for the area, then follow the temple approach to Great Ci’en Temple on Yanta South Road.

• The pagoda is inside the temple; viewing it from the surrounding squares is different from entering the temple or any open tower interior.