Small Wild Goose Pagoda Xian

Small Wild Goose Pagoda Xian

Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Xian

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is situated in the Jianfu Temple in the southern suburb of Xian City, Shaanxi Province. It was built in the year 707 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) by Emperor Gaozong. It was so named for the smaller body to the Big Pagoda. Unlike the grand Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it is dainty and exquisite in its appearance. It is an important cultural relic and one of the remaining symbols of ancient Chang'an i.e. the name of Xian in the Tang Dynasty.

The famous pilgrim Yijing, a great Buddhist translator is said to have once lived here to translate Sanskrit scripts he brought back from India.

This multi-eave brick pagoda is thirteen stories tall, reaching 43.38 meters (142 feet). It is square on plane and rises skyward in an elegant spindle shape. Multi-eaves are made by overlapping bricks curve inward, a characteristic of the Tang Dynasty construction. The ground floor has arched doors facing north and south; the other floors have arched windows instead. The fine drawings on the doors reflect the artistic style prevailing in the Tang Dynasty. Inside, a narrow wooden stairway winds its way to the top of the pagoda.

Inside the temple there is a huge iron bell dating from the Kin Dynasty (1192). The sound of the bell is splendid and clear, and can be heard as far as five kilometers away. People here simply call it the "Magic Bell". The elegant pagoda along with the bell is known as 'The Morning Bell Chimes of the Pagoda' and is considered one of the eight major cultural sites in the province.

The construction of the pagoda is a wonder. Because Xian is located in an area where earthquakes occur but in spite of that the architecture is such that it has been able to hold the Pagoda even after facing as many as seventy earth quakes. A crack ran from the top to the base and the upper two tiers toppled off during one earthquake. Though the crack was later revamped, the two top storeys were not replaced during the renovation.

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