Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a famous pagoda in Xi\u2019an. Located at the Da Ci\u2019en Temple in the city\u2019s south, it reaches nearly 65 meters, a remarkable feature, given it was built over 1,300 years ago.<\/p>\n
So, why would a westerner visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda? What makes this famous Xi\u2019an pagoda stand out among the many to be discovered in China?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s see if we can clear that up with some insider knowledge about Big Wild Goose Pagoda.<\/p>\n\n\n
What\u2019s the back story to Big Wild Goose Pagoda?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 652AD on the same site as another temple.<\/p>\n
Back in 648AD, Da Ci\u2019en Temple, which means \u2018motherly love and kindness\u2019, was constructed by order of Crown Prince Li Zhi, who later became Emperor Gaozong, third emperor of Tang Dynasty.<\/p>\n
Inspiration for the temple came from Li Zhi\u2019s mother, Empress Zhangsun, who died young. The location of Da Ci\u2019en was selected on the basis it would be visible from the emperor\u2019s residence, Hanyuan Palace, and allow him to pay respects to his mother each day.<\/p>\n
But Da Ci\u2019en is more of a sideline, rather than the main event at Big Wild Goose Pagoda, so let\u2019s discover why.<\/p>\n\n\n
What does Monkey King have to do with Big Wild Goose Pagoda?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Every child growing up in China knows Monkey King, and not surprisingly, so do many people from all over the world.<\/p>\n
Monkey King\u2019s story \u2013 and that of Master Xuanzang \u2013 starts with an incredible \u2018journey to the West\u2019, that allegedly began in 629 AD when Master Xuanzang traveled to India for the purpose of studying Buddhism.<\/p>\n
After 17 years (645 AD), he made his way home with over six hundred Buddhist scriptures in tow, a collection of Buddha statues, and sarira (the sanskrit term for Buddhist relics). On his return, Xuanzang settled in Chang\u2019an city (as Xi\u2019an was known at the time), and was then invited to make Da Ci\u2019en his home. It was here that he began an epic task to translate the Buddhist scriptures.<\/p>\n
Clearly an adventurer at heart, Xuanzang\u2019s reputation stems from his adventurous spirit \u2013 he traveled to 110 countries \u2013 and his seemingly voracious appetite for translation \u2013 he is responsible for having translated an amazing 1,330 scriptures into Chinese. It\u2019s any wonder he was considered the greatest scholar of the Tang Dynasty, and his own personal legacy, the\u00a0Great Tang Records on the Western Regions<\/em>, captures his remarkable insights as an early pioneer. Due to the voluminous works he translated, Da Ci\u2019en became known as the most significant imperial temple during the Tang dynasty.<\/p>\n
So what does an emperor do with all those Buddhist scriptures and treasures? He stores them in a special place fit for treasures. To that end, Master Xuanzang proposed to Emperor Gaozong that a pagoda would be ideal for this purpose, and it seems his enthusiasm carried him over because in 652AD construction on a five storey Indian style pagoda was completed. And while earthquakes, groundwater, and age have contributed to a definite lean that is apparent in the pagoda, it continues to be a Xi\u2019an must-see highlight.<\/p>\n
Incredibly, Big Wild Goose Pagoda has been reconstructed several times over a number of dynasties, and has varied in height between nine, ten, and seven storeys. It began leaning to the northwest in 1719 during the Qing dynasty. After the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, the lean measured just over a meter.<\/p>\n\n\n
How Big Wild Goose Pagoda was named<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Behind the many ancient buildings and monuments in China steeped in legend and history, there is a story to be found, and of course, Big Wild Goose Pagoda does not disappoint. It is said that while he was working on the\u00a0Great Tang Records of the Western Regions<\/em>, Master Xuanzang documented a legend involving a pagoda and a wild goose, which he learned Indian monks.<\/p>\n
The story goes that Hinayana (meat eating) monks were concerned about their meal because there was no meat. In keeping with their tradition, they prayed to Buddha for meat to cook, at which point a flock of geese appeared. The goose leading the flock fell to the ground and died, providing the monks with their meat.<\/p>\n
Naturally, the monks regarded this as a miracle from Buddha and were so deeply touched they became vegetarian. The goose was buried and a pagoda that was built on the site was aptly named Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Master Xuanzang deemed this a fitting tribute to the Buddhist influences and legacy that became home to so many Buddhist scriptures and treasures.<\/p>\n\n\n
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