Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is located within the Da Ci'en Temple in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. This Buddhist pagoda was constructed during the Tang Dynasty around the year 652 AD (1195 BE). It is a square-shaped pagoda built entirely with bricks in a highly skilled manner. The pagoda stands approximately 64.7 meters tall, with a base height of about 4.2 meters. Its width from north to south measures around 48.8 meters, and the length of the lowest side of the tower is 25 meters. Inside the pagoda, it serves as a repository for the Buddhist scriptures brought from India by the monk Xuanzang (known as Tang Sanzang). Why is it called the "Giant Wild Goose Pagoda"? According to legend, while Xuanzang was traveling through the desert to bring the scriptures from India, he faced a crisis where he nearly died of thirst in the scorching heat. He then saw a flock of wild geese flying by and thought they might be heading towards a water source. Following the geese, he and his group eventually found water and survived. Ultimately, he successfully brought the scriptures to China. To commemorate this event, the pagoda was built and named "Da Ci'en," which translates to "Giant Wild Goose," as a tribute to the incident.