Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Da Ci'en Temple
大慈恩寺·大雁塔 · Yanta, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Where Xuanzang translated the scriptures — 'signing beneath the Wild Goose Pagoda' carries a thousand years of scholars' longing to pass the exams.
Know before you go
- Don't photograph Buddha images or monks casually
- don't wear Buddha ornaments frivolously
- don't carve on the bricks when you climb the pagoda.
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
Xuanzang's seventeen years and a pagoda
In 629 Xuanzang set out west from Chang'an, travelling through Central Asia to India, where he studied under the master Śīlabhadra at Nālandā; he returned to Chang'an in 645 with at least 657 Sanskrit texts. To preserve these scriptures and Buddha images safely, in 652 he oversaw the building of a pagoda in the style of the Western Regions — the pagoda of Da Ci'en Temple. The original later decayed, and Wu Zetian and nobles paid for it to be demolished and rebuilt as a seven-storey square pavilion-style pagoda, which survives today.
Source: Wikipedia: Xuanzang; Wikipedia: Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Da Ci'en Temple was built in 648, the 22nd year of the Tang Zhenguan reign, by Li Zhi — then crown prince, later Emperor Gaozong — in memory of his mother, Empress Wende. When the monk Xuanzang returned from his journey to India for the scriptures, he spent nineteen years translating here and founded the Yogācāra (Weishi) school, making Da Ci'en the ancestral temple of the Faxiang school. In 652, the third year of the Tang Yonghui reign, Xuanzang built a five-storey brick pagoda in Central Asian style to house the Sanskrit scriptures he had brought from India — the Da Ci'en Temple Pagoda; it later became known as the 'Big Wild Goose Pagoda' from a legend about burying a goose, and was rebuilt with seven storeys in Wu Zetian's Chang'an era, as it stands today.
Local customs
- New Tang jinshi graduates had the custom of writing their names beneath the Ci'en pagoda — Bai Juyi wrote, 'Where names are inscribed beneath the Ci'en Pagoda, of seventeen men I was the youngest' — and 'signing beneath the Wild Goose Pagoda' became a byword for passing the exams. Visitors today still love to take photos beneath the pagoda for good luck
- dress neatly and behave respectfully in the temple.
Religion & beliefs
- A Buddhist temple. Don't step on thresholds when entering halls
- you may put your palms together before the Buddha, but don't point at images or laugh loudly
- photography is usually banned in the Mahavira Hall, so watch for signs. There are more worshippers on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month, so keep quiet and give way.
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: don't get physical in a dispute
- Walk away from an argument and call the police if needed
- Pushing, shoving or fighting
Whoever starts it, taking part in a fight can bring a fine or detention, and the injured party usually demands compensation.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
China: carry your original passport
- Foreign visitors should carry their original passport
- Carrying only a copy or photo of your passport
Police make random ID checks and do not accept printouts; if you cannot show your passport, you may be fined or detained.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
Don’t DON'T
- Don't photograph Buddha images or monks casually
- don't wear Buddha ornaments frivolously
- don't carve on the bricks when you climb the pagoda.
Locals appreciate DO
- Xi'an people love watching the musical fountain in the north square, packed in the evening
- Qujiang residents like night runs, and the 'tumbler' performer at Datang Everbright City is a hit with young people.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Climbing the pagoda needs a separate ticket and numbers are capped, so go in the morning
- Datang Everbright City at night is extremely crowded, so avoid peak times and watch your belongings
- the north-square fountain plays several times a day — check the site's announcements. Check tickets and opening hours on the official website.
Eat nearby
What to eat nearby
Must-try
- Roujiamo (meat in a bun)
- Hulutou paomo (pork-tripe soup with bread)
- Zenggao (steamed sticky-rice cake)
Roujiamo, hulutou paomo (flatbread soaked in pork-intestine soup), zenggao (steamed glutinous rice and red-date cake), osmanthus persimmon cakes, Bingfeng soda
| Where to eat | Around Datang Everbright City and restaurants in the Qujiang New District; for long-established names, the Muslim Quarter / Sajinqiao |
|---|---|
| Dining etiquette | The Muslim Quarter area is mostly halal restaurants — don't bring pork or alcohol in |
| Typical price per person | CNY 40–80 |
| Tips | The Everbright City night market is pricey; walk to local places in Xiaozhai / Qujiang for better value. |
Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.
Danielinblue · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photos
Photos
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