Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Introducing Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Also called Little Wild Goose Pagoda, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda stands in the Jianfu Temple south of downtown Xian. Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the year 707 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). As it is newer and smaller than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the name was given to distinguish the two. Unlike the grand Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it is dainty and exquisite in its appearance. It is an important cultural relic and one of the remaining symbols of ancient Chang’an (the name of Xian in the Tang Dynasty). The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was inscribed in 2014 on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor World Heritage Site.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Xiao Yan Ta 小雁塔
• Best Time to Visit: All year round
• Recommended Visiting Hours: 2 hours
• Opening Hours: 9:00 – 17:00  from Mar. 15 to Oct. 31; 9:00 – 16:30 from Nov. 01- to Mar.14.
• Entrance Fee: Free;  CNY 25  for ascending the pagoda
• Address: No. 72 Youyi Road, Beilin District, Xi’an
• Address in Chinese: 西安市碑林区友谊西路72号

What to expect at Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Architectural Layout of Small Wild Goose Pagoda
This multi-eave brick pagoda is thirteen stories tall, reaching 43.38 meters (142 feet). It is square on plane and rises skyward in an elegant spindle shape. Above the ground floor, the height of each storey diminishes, rendering a graceful curve to the contour. Multi-eaves are made by overlapping bricks curve inward, a characteristic of the Tang Dynasty construction. The ground floor has arched doors facing north and south; the other floors have arched windows instead. The fine drawings on the doors reflect the artistic style prevailing in the Tang Dynasty. Inside, a narrow wooden stairway winds its way to the top of the pagoda. There is a narrow wooden stairway leads to the top of the pagoda where tourists can have a bird’s eye view of the whole temple as well as Xian city.

Magical Survival from Earthquakes
The construction of the pagoda is a wonder. Because Xian is located in an area where earthquakes sometimes occur, the pagoda base is made from packed earth in the shape of a hemisphere. In case of an earthquake, the pressure can be evenly divided, thus the pagoda has remained standing after over seventy earthquakes. After so many earthquakes, only the pinnacle and the two upper floors (the original pagoda had fifteen stories) have been damaged. Remarkably, cracks in the pagoda which have occurred during earthquakes have been closed by quakes that came later.

The Morning Bell Chimes of the Pagoda
A giant iron bell 3.5 meters (11.4 feet) in height and about 10 tons in weight resides in the Jianfu Temple. It makes a magnificent clear sound that can be heard more than three miles away. The elegant pagoda along with the bell is known as “The Morning Bell Chimes of the Pagoda” and is considered one of the eight major cultural sites in the province. It is really worthwhile visiting this ancient Buddhist pagoda.

How to get to Small Wild Goose Pagoda

By Metro
Take Metro Line 2, get off at Nanshaomen Station (Exit A2). Walk west about 5 minutes and get in through the North Gate.

By Bus
• Take bus No.18, 21, 29, 32, 40, 46, 203, 204, 218, 224, 258, 407, 410, 508, 521, 618, 700, 707, 713 or Tourist Line 7, get off at Xiaoyanta Station and get in through the North Gate.
• Take bus No.18, 203, 204, 218, 258, 407, 410, 713 or Tourist Line 7 and get off at Xiajiazhuang Station. Walk north about 4 minutes and get in through the West Gate.

Additional travel advice on Small Wild Goose Pagoda
• The stairway to the top of the pagoda is quite narrow and even a bit of a tight squeeze on the upper floors. Please watch out the steps while ascending the pagoda. 
• Xian Museum is located in Small Wild Goose Pagoda complex and it is free to visit. Xian Museum is closed every Tuesday.