Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Brief Introduction:
Characteristics and function
As the symbol of the ole-line Xi’an, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda or Big Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Spot is a well-preserved ancient scenic spot and a holy place for Buddhists. Standing in the Da Ci'en Temple complex, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion, its simple but appealing style of construction, and its new square in front of the temple. One of the pagoda's functions was to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveller Xuanzang.

History of the pagoda
Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty and originally had five stories. The ruling Empress Wu Zetian had the pagoda rebuilt and added five new stories by the year 704 AD. However, a massive earthquake in 1556 heavily damaged the pagoda and reduced it by three stories, to its current height of seven stories.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was extensively repaired during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and renovated again in 1964. The pagoda currently stands at a height of 64 m (210 ft) tall and from the top it offers views over the current city of Xi'an.

During Tang Dynasty, the pagoda was located within the grounds of a monastery, within a walled ward of the larger southeastern sector of the city, then known as Chang'an. The monastic grounds around the pagoda during the Tang Dynasty had ten courtyards and a total of 1,897 bays. In those days graduate students of the Advanced Scholars examination in Chang'an inscribed their names at this monastery.

Location: This attraction is located in the southern suburb of Xian City, about 4 kilometers (2.49 miles) from the downtown of the city.
Ticket Price: About 25 yuan per person.
Opening time: 8：00-19：00.
How to get there: You can get there by bus No.5, No.19, No.21 and No.610. And it costs about 14 yuan if you want to take a taxi from the Bell Tower.
Best time for visit: Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November).