PAGODA OF THE GREAT WILD GOOSE

Located 4 km south of the city centre, this pagoda is the symbol of the city of Xi'an. Buddhism arrives in China through Silk road, and Chang'an attracts many Buddhist students, monks and artists. The impressive pagoda was erected in 647 (according to the Hindu pagoda model) at the request of Gao Zong, emperor of the Tang dynasty. It was here that the great traveller monk, Xuan Zang, worked laboriously for eleven years to translate from the Sanskrit the many Buddhist sutras he had reported from India. A famous stele represents him ployé under the weight of a heavy ballot filled with manuscripts, holding with one hand a lantern, on the other a chasse.

The pagoda is, in fact, a 64 m brick tower, the breakthrough of narrow windows on the four sides of each floor. An inside staircase allows you to climb up to the top floor and enjoy the panoramic view over Xi'an.

The walls of the old town of Chang'an went to 3 km south of the pagoda, giving an idea of the extent of the capital at the time of its glory.

Adjacent to the pagoda, the Bienveillance Temple (大慈恩寺) contains statues of clay and golden wood, as well as bronzes of the Epoch era. The small temple museum is dedicated to Xuan Zang.