This famous Buddhist pagoda is situated inside Da Ci'en (Thanksgiving) Temple, which is four kilometers south of Xi'an City. Tang Emperor Gaozong (628-683) commissioned the building of this temple in 652 during the Tang Dynasty as a tribute to his mother who suffered an early death. Its purpose was to house the translations of the Buddhist scriptures. The pagoda experienced many alterations in the past centuries. First built to a height of 197 feet at five stories, it is now 211.6 feet with an additional two stories. The pagoda's square conical structure is simple but very sturdy and regarded as a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture.
It is called Big Wild Goose Pagoda because of an old legend. One day, the monks ran out of meat and thus, they asked Bodhisattva to give them some. Suddenly, a goose which was the leading of a flock of geese flying overhead breaks its wing and drops to the ground in front of the monks. The monks took this to be a sign that they would be more pious and thus, they stopped eating meat. This pagoda was built where the goose fell.
Now the pagoda and the temple is surrounded by beautiful fountains that light up at night to create a breathtaking night scene that can not be missed. Come see this grand sight and witness the history of Chinese Buddhism!
