The Large Wild Goose Pagoda

The Large Wild Goose Pagoda (Da Yan Ta) is located within the premises of the Temple of Great Maternal Grace (Dacien Si). This magnificent pagoda is four kms south of Xi'an and many regard it as a symbol of the city. The pagoda, built in 652 AD, is a square pyramid and stands at 60m high and seven storeys tall.

Legend has it that the Temple was built by Emperor Tang Gaozong to honor his mother, Empress Wende. The Temple is also said to have been built to house and protect Buddhist scriptures collected in India by the Chinese monk, Xuan Zang.

There are fantastic views from the top of the pagoda of the grid-like streets below and it seems hard to believe today that the area around here was once countryside and fields ! It is tradition to throw coins from the windows of the pagoda in the hope that this will bring good luck.

How to get there : The Large Wild Goose Pagoda is in the south of the city. To get there take bus No.41 from the train station.