Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Small Wild Goose Pagoda is one for the two popular as well as important Buddhist pagodas which was built in the Tang dynasty, 1300 years ago. It is situated at the 72 Youyi West Road.  It is located inside the Jianfu Temple which is about a kilometer south of the Xi’an City proper. Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the large neighbor which is Big Wild Goose Pagoda are the tow important site for Buddhist. These tow pagodas were the symbol of Chang’an or Constant Peace city. Xi’an was called as the Chang’an until the period of Ming Dynasty, when Beijing became the capital of china. Chang’an served as the capital for almost ten dynasties.

The construction of Jianfu Temple took place in the year 684 AD in the honor of second emperor Lizhi, of the Tang Dynasty on the 100^th day after his death. It was called as Xianfu Temple at that time but, later renamed as Jianfu temple by the Empress Wu Xetian. Yijing a famous pilgrim and a great Buddhism translator once lived in the Jianfu temple for translating the Buddhist scripture which he had brought back from India.

Small wild Goose Pagoda was constructed during the period 707 to 709 AD and it was named after its predecessor, Big wild Goose Pagoda which is only five kilometers away. It was originally square brick and 45 meter tall structure, multi-eave having 15 storey. In the year 1556, due to a big earthquake it was reduced to its present 13 storey. After that it has suffered various other earthquakes but it is still well preserved. You can access to the top of this pagoda through a staircase which is inside this pagoda.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the part of Xi’an Museum. This museum has about 130 thousand pieces of precious relics which shows the splendid culture and history of Xi’an as well as china. These relics include jade articles, Buddhist statues, seals, porcelains, stone carvings, paintings and calligraphy  The small exhibition hall which is beside the museum displays some of the paintings of Huxian County farmers which is famous for portraying the aspects of the country life on newspaper and blackboards and in the large murals as well as the collections which are gathered from the folks.