History

Great Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the 8th century AD to preserve the sutras and Buddhist figurines brought from India by Xuanzang via the Silk Roads. It is the earliest and largest one among extant square pavilion-style brick pagodas of Tang Dynasty. It also typifies the transmission and localization of Buddhist architecture along with the Buddhism dissemination in Central China. Da Ci’en Temple, where the pagoda locates, whose construction was instructed by the royalty and presided over by Xuanzang, was the most famous and splendid temple as well as one of the three

major sutra translation centers in Chang’an city of Tang Dynasty. 115Great Wild Goose Pagoda is a landmark for the Chang'an city which is among the initial cities of the Silk Roads.