Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Located south of the ancient city of Xian, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda scenic area is a wonderful site in Xian. The centerpiece of the area is the pagoda which was built in 707, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The scenic area is filled with gardens, ancient temple buildings, cultural relics and is also home to the Xian Museum.
Since the pagoda is smaller and a few years newer than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it was named the ‘Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The pagoda is quite dainty in appearance and the top of the pagoda is damaged. The pagoda is 43.38 meters high and was built of brick and has thirteen stories, with each one smaller than the last. The exterior of the pagoda is square and was made with overlapping bricks. The ground floor has two entrances facing north and south. Each successive floor has arched openings with a spiraling staircase to allow visitors to climb the pagoda and get bird’s eye views of the surrounding area.
The pagoda’s design is an engineering marvel. It was built on a base of packed earth which is round in shape. In case of an earthquake, the base evenly distributes the pressure and this has allowed the pagoda to stand after over 70 earthquakes. In 1556, a massive earthquake caused the pinnacle and the top two floors to collapse. Occasionally earthquakes have caused the pagoda to crack open, but the subsequent earthquakes have always caused them to close up again.
The temple that surrounds the pagoda was built in 684, 23 years earlier than the pagoda. Originally called Daxianfusi (Great Monastery of Offered Blessings), it was given its present name; Dajianfusi, by Empress Wu Zetian.
Xian Museum
Located in the scenic area, the Xian Museum has, on exhibition, over 2,000 cultural relics which are located in several different buildings.
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda scenic area offers an electronic guide system which allows visitors to take a self-tour of the area. As visitors arrive at each location, the electronic guide will inform them of what they are seeing and the history of the spot.
