Big Wild Goose Pagoda

This weekend I visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It was Xi'an's most famous cultural attraction until the terra cotta warriors were unearthed. The pagoda still remains a symbol of the city and a must see location for visitors to Xi'an. The pagoda was built over 1300 years ago when the Tang dynasty ruled China from Xi'an. The purpose of the pagoda was to store buddhist sutras and figurines brought from India.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda from the north

Fountain pool on north side of pagoda

A wall depicting scenes from the Silk Road. Xi'an was the terminus of the Silk Road in China.

A fake tree on the grounds of the pagoda. It appears to have an electrical purpose.

Path around the pagoda

Souvenir stalls. Hundreds of identical stalls selling the same merchandise.

Peaceful Pavilion.

Park on the south side of the pagoda

Another fake tree

View of the pagoda from the south square

Statue on south square in front of pagoda

South square

South gate of pagoda

A man writing on the sidewalk with water symbolizing the transience of life

'Pancakes here look like manhole covers. There are easy to carry when the locals go on a journey'

A happy chinese family.

China uses only the finest grass on the grounds of its cultural attactions

A final look at the pagoda from the south park

The Pizza Hut Pagoda. It was built in 2003 to store recipes and silverware brought from America.