The Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda or Big Wild Goose Pagoda ( Chinese :大雁塔 ; pinyin : Dàyàn Ta), is located in southern Xi'an . The pagoda was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty and back then had five stories. The pagoda was built to store sutras and figurines of Buddha, that were brought to China by the Buddhist translator and traveller Xuanzang .

In the beginning of 8th century under the ruling of Empress Wu Zetian five more storeys were added to the pagoda. Sadly wars on later times damaged the pagoda reducing its height to current seven storeys. It stands 64 meters tall and from the top it offers great view over the city of Xi'an.

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda , sometimes Little Goose Pagoda ( Chinese : 小雁塔 ; pinyin : Xiaoyàn Ta), is one of two significant pagodas in the city of Xi'an. The other is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda .

Little Goose Pagoda was built between AD 707 - 709 during the Tang Dynasty by emperor Gaozong . The pagoda stood 45 meters until the Shaanxi Earthquake of 1556. The earthquake shook the pagoda so that it now stands at 43.4 meters high. Indian pilgrims have brought sacred Buddhist writings to the pagoda from India.