The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is located in the Da Ci’en Temple in Xi’an, also known as the “Ci’en Temple Pagoda”. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the earliest and largest surviving brick pagoda of the Tang Dynasty, is typical physical evidence of the architectural form of Buddhist pagodas, which was introduced to the Central Plains with Buddhism and integrated into Chinese culture.
As a famous Chinese pagoda, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda demonstrates the exploration and innovation of Chinese architecture in terms of technology, aesthetics, and other architectural elements. The tower has changed its appearance several times during the ravages of over a thousand years, but what remains unchanged is its simple temperament, like an old man with endless experience, subtle yet resounding.
When the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was first built, it was made of green bricks and earthen cement as the main materials and was modeled on the Bodhgaya Pagoda in India, with five floors at first, then covered to nine floors, then the number of floors and height was changed several times, and finally fixed to the seven-story pagoda.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a brick and wooden structure of four square pagodas, consisting of three parts: the base, the body, and the brake. The height of the tower is 64.5 meters, the tower base is 4.2 meters high, the north-south length is about 48.7 meters, the east-west length is about 45.7 meters; the base of the tower is 25.5 meters long, in a square cone shape; the tower brakes are 4.87 meters high. 1, 2 floors have 9 rooms, 3, 4 floors have 7 rooms, 5, 6, 7, 8 floors have 5 rooms, each floor has a coupon door on all four sides.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was initially destroyed soon after it was built when the earth collapsed. It is recorded that the Big Wild Goose Pagoda has been destroyed 5 times. With 16 repairs and alterations, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda has been gradually localized by integrating with Chinese customs and culture, religion, and social environment. From exotic style to Chinese style, it became more acceptable to Chinese people.
