Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi’an, Shaanxi province

Also known as the Da Ci’ensi Pagoda (Pagoda of the Great Temple of Benevolence and Kindness), the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, Shannxi province, was initiated by the monk Xuanzang (602-64) in 652 to preserve the Buddhist statues and scriptures he had collected during his pilgrimage to ancient India.

Having been renovated several times, today’s pagoda is dated to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It stands more than 64 meters tall and is a square building of seven stories. The pagoda is considered to have the longest history and the grandest scale among the existing quadrangle-sectioned multi-storey pagodas of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It was one of the three major Buddhist scripture translation institutions in ancient Chang’an city during that period, and played an important role in spreading Buddhism.

Two stelae can be seen inlaid at the foot of the pagoda on each side of its southern entrance. They bear inscriptions composed by the Taizong Emperor (r. 626-49 ) and his son the Gaozong Emperor (r. 649-83), and feature the work of the celebrated Tang Dynasty calligrapher Chu Suiliang (596-658). Respectively titled Preface to the Sacred Teaching and Record of the Sacred Teaching Preface, the inscriptions testify to the role the pagoda played in spreading Buddhism along the ancient Silk Road.

That the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda turned from an Indian stupa to a multi-storied lofty pavilion over a thousand years reflects the transformation of Buddhist architectural art from an exotic Indian style to a local Chinese one.