subject: The Big Wild Goose Pagoda In Xian Of China [print this page] Da Cien Temple was originally built in 589 ADDa Cien Temple was originally built in 589 AD. It was not until the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, in 648 AD, that Li Zhi (the third emperor of Tang Dynasty) ordered the reparation of the temple in memory of his mother Empress Wende. The temple was later renamed Da Cien Si. The Tang Regime appointed the widely renowned Master Xuan Zang as the head of the temple. The temple was destroyed by war during the downfall of the Tang Dynasty and the halls and rooms we see today were actually built in Ming Dynasty.
In 652 AD, Master Xuan Zang proposed to the court that a pagoda should be built inside the temple to store scriptures and statues he had brought back from India. He stayed in Cien Temple for 12 years, and translated 75 sets of Buddhist scripture, in total 1,335 volumes. Pilgrims to the West, one of the Chinas most popular novels, tells the adventures of Master Xuan Zang and his three disciples.
The tower was reconstructed in Wuzetian period. It was famous in Tang Dynasty. To be delight, nowadays, it is even more famous around the world. There are many giant persons covering poets left their words here.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda is 64 meters high, a brick and wood structure with seven storeys. The tower takes a shape of a cone formed by the wood, bottom-up, scaled-down. The tower has a wooden ladder which can help people up to the higher storey. There are four arch doorways on each floor, providing an outlook spot for visitors.
