Big Wild Goose Pagoda, situated in the Da Ci'en
Temple, is one of the famous Buddhist pagodas in China about 4
kilometers from the urban center.
History Background
Originally built in 589 A.D. in the Sui dynasty, the temple was named Wu
Lou Si Temple till 648 A.D. when Emperor Li Zhi, then still a crown
prince, sponsored a repair project on the temple.
This was a
symbol of thanksgiving to his mother for her kindness, after she had
suffered an early death. The temple then assumed the present name Temple
of Da Ci'en (Thanksgiving). The Emperor Gaozong was said to pay homage
to the temple twice a day by looking in its direction from the Hanyuan
Palace. The temple, with 13 separate courtyards, contained 1,879
magnificent-looking rooms altogether and was a place of grand extent in
the Tang dynasty. However, it went into gradual decay after the downfall
of the Tang dynasty. The halls and rooms that have survived the age are
structures that were built in the Ming dynasty.
The Tang
Regime gave orders to build a chamber for the translation of Buddhist
scriptures in an effort to have the then widely renowned Master Xuanzang
(Monk Tripitaka) agree to be the head of the temple.
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The Wild Goose Pagoda was finished in 652 A.D.
Its five storeys are 60 meters in height. The decay of the earth-cored
pagoda caused the new construction of a 10-storey pagoda from 701 to
704. However, the winds of war, in the years to come, reduced the pagoda
almost to ruins, which in turn resulted in the construction of a
7-storeyed, 64-meter-high structure today.
Architectural Complex
The pagoda was an architectural marvel. It was built with layers of
bricks but without any cement in between. The bracket style in
traditional Chinese architecture was also used in the construction. The
seams between each layer of bricks and the "prisms' on each side of the
pagoda are clearly visible. The grand body of the pagoda with its solemn
appearance, simple style and high structure, is indeed a good example
of ancient people's wisdom and talent.
Pictures of the
Heavenly King and of Buddha are on the doorframe sand horizontal bars on
four sides of the pagoda's base. These stone sculptures display peak
workmanship, and show vivid shapes and smooth lines. They now serve as
an important source of material for the study of painting and sculpture
of the Tang dynasty. Out of these artistic works, the one on the
horizontal bar of the west door is the most precious. It is a rare piece
of art, now used for the study of the Tang architecture.
Inside the temple where the pagoda is situated, there are two small
buildings: the one on the east side houses a bell, and the one on the
west side a drum. The bell, an iron cast from the Ming dynasty, weights
15 tons. Together with the drum, the bell was used to strike time for
the monks in the temple.
Inside the Great Hall of the Buddha in the temple
there are three incarnations of Sakyamuni. The one in the middle is
called Dharmakaya. The one on the west side is called Bao Shen Buddha,
and the one on the opposite is called Ying Shen Buddha. In the Doctrine
Chamber stands the Amitabha Buddha. On the wall at the east side of the
chamber, there are three rubbings. The one in the middle is called
Xuanzang (Monk Tripitaka) carries the Scriptures to Chang'an. In the
Tang dynasty, every successful candidate who passed the imperial
examinations would have to climb up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and wrote
poems and inscriptions there.
This ritual would symbolize a
soaring career in the future. The fashion of writing poems and leaving
inscriptions on the horizontal bars over doors and stone frame-works by
successful candidates of the imperial examinations went on as far as the
Ming dynasty. These poem sand inscriptions have survived till this day
as a fine mirror to the city's past.
Address: Yanta Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi
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