Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Attraction Introduction

The scenic area is composed of "One Pagoda, One Temple, One Museum". Enter through the Jianfu Temple gate and stroll through peaceful gardens far quieter than Da Ci'en Temple.

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda (小雁塔), built in 707 AD to house Buddhist scriptures brought back from India by the monk Yijing, is a 43-meter multi-eave brick pagoda — originally 15 stories, now 13 after earthquake damage. For cultural preservation, visitors can no longer climb the pagoda, but its ancient, weathered silhouette is deeply moving from below.

The pagoda's most legendary tale is the "Three Splits and Three Merges" (三裂三合) — across four centuries, three major earthquakes cracked the pagoda open, and three subsequent tremors mysteriously sealed the cracks shut. The most devastating was the 1556 Hua County earthquake (deadliest in world history, claiming 830,000 lives), which split the tower in two — yet seven years later, another quake closed the fissure without a trace. Over 1,300 years, the pagoda has survived 70+ earthquakes without ever collapsing. Ancient people called it "divine merger" (神合); a folk proverb spread: "In turmoil the crack opens; in peace the crack closes."

Modern engineers attribute the miracle to the Tang craftsmen's genius design: a hollow tubular brick structure and a hemispherical rammed-earth foundation that acts like a tumbler base.

Don't miss the ancient bell tower — the "Wild Goose Pagoda Morning Bell" (雁塔晨钟) is one of the 'Eight Scenic Spots of Guanzhong'; visitors can ring the bell for good fortune.

End your visit at the Xi'an Museum (Click here for more) on the same grounds, featuring jade carvings, Buddhist art, and calligraphy — admission is free.