The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area is located in Da Ci'en Temple, Yanta District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and a nationally protected key cultural relic site. With Da Ci'en Temple as its core, the scenic area includes the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the North and South Squares, and the East and West Pedestrian Streets, covering a total area of approximately 650,000 square meters. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is 64.517 meters tall, with a base side length of 25.5 meters. It is a seven-story square pavilion-style brick pagoda and is the earliest and largest existing Tang Dynasty square pavilion-style brick pagoda in China. The scenic area integrates Buddhist culture, Tang Dynasty architectural art, and modern leisure landscapes, and is notable for its profound historical atmosphere and the fountain square light show.
Historical Culture
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was first built in the third year of the Yonghui era of the Tang Dynasty (652 AD). It was constructed under the supervision of Master Xuanzang to preserve Buddhist scriptures. It was originally five stories and was later repaired and expanded several times to seven stories. Da Ci'en Temple was the most famous Buddhist temple in Chang'an City during the Tang Dynasty. It was built by Crown Prince Li Zhi in memory of his mother, Empress Wende. Xuanzang translated scriptures and propagated Buddhism here, making it the ancestral temple of the Faxiang school.
Tang Dynasty poets such as Cen Shen and Du Fu once climbed the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and left poems, such as Cen Shen's "Climbing the Pagoda of Ci'en Temple with Gao Shi and Xue Ju." During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda underwent large-scale reconstruction, forming the existing pavilion-style brick pagoda structure. In 1961, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was listed by the State Council as one of the first batch of nationally protected key cultural relic sites. In 2014, as one of the heritage sites of the "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor," it was inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List.
Main Attractions
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is a seven-story brick and stone structure, with a total height of 64.5 meters and a base side length of 25.5 meters. Each story of the pagoda body has arched doorways. On both sides of the south gate on the ground floor are embedded stone tablets written in calligraphy by the Tang Dynasty calligrapher Chu Suiliang: the "Preface to the Sacred Teaching of the Great Tang Tripitaka" and the "Record of the Sacred Teaching Preface." Inside the pagoda, wooden stairs lead to the top, where visitors can overlook the southern scenery of Xi'an.
Da Ci'en Temple
The temple covers an area of approximately 33,333 square meters. Along its central axis are, in order, the mountain gate, bell and drum towers, the Great Hall of Mahavira, the Dharma Hall, and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. The temple preserves Ming Dynasty bronze Buddhas, Qing Dynasty buildings, and a large number of Buddhist cultural relics. Among them, the statue of Xuanzang Tripitaka on the ground floor of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was made in the Ming Dynasty.
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda North Square
Asia's largest fountain square, covering an area of approximately 166,000 square meters, composed of water features and fountains, a cultural square, and garden landscapes. The main fountain area has 1,360 nozzles and stages scheduled musical fountain performances every day. The maximum water curtain height reaches 60 meters.
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda South Square
Centered on the sculpture of Xuanzang obtaining Buddhist scriptures, it covers an area of approximately 35,000 square meters. Nearby are the Shaanxi Folk Custom Grand View Garden and the Opera Grand View Garden, displaying Shaanxi folk culture such as paper-cutting, shadow puppetry, and Qinqiang opera.
Grand Tang Mall
Located on the east side of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, it is 1,500 meters long and 480 meters wide. It is a commercial pedestrian street integrating the display of High Tang culture and nighttime tourism experiences. The district features sculpture groups, light shows, intangible cultural heritage performances, and more, with an average daily visitor flow of over 100,000 people.
Food
Shaanxi Liangpi
Made from wheat or rice, served with bean sprouts and cucumber shreds, and dressed with chili oil, vinegar, and other seasonings. The "Weijia Liangpi" branch in the scenic area charges about 12 yuan per portion. It is sour, spicy, and refreshing, suitable for summer.
Roujiamo
A white ji bread bun filled with braised pork, with a crispy bun and tender meat. Recommended is "Fanji Laozhi Roujiamo" outside the scenic area, founded in 1925, at about 15 yuan per portion. It tastes even better with Bingfeng soda.
Yangrou Paomo
Crumbled dead-dough flatbread cooked with mutton soup, with a rich broth. "Laosunjia Restaurant" (Giant Wild Goose Pagoda branch) is a century-old brand. Ordinary paomo is about 48 yuan per portion and can be paired with sweet garlic to cut the greasiness.
Ice酪
A specialty snack at Grand Tang Mall, made from goat milk and mixed with crushed nuts and fruit pieces, with a dense and smooth texture. "Shanshisan Ice酪" is about 25 yuan per portion. Creative flavors such as fermented glutinous rice and chili oil are recommended.
Tickets：
Da Ci'en Temple ticket: 30 yuan/person; Giant Wild Goose Pagoda climbing ticket: 25 yuan/person. As of July 23, 2025, no official WeChat public account has been found.
Opening Hours：
Da Ci'en Temple: 8:00—17:30 (last entry at 17:00);
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda climbing: 8:00—18:00;
Musical fountain performance times:
Monday to Friday: 12:00, 20:00 (about 20 minutes each);
Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays: 12:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00.
Grand Tang Mall: open all day (light show 20:00—22:00).
Tour Route：
Classic route: Da Ci'en Temple mountain gate → Bell and Drum Towers → Great Hall of Mahavira → Dharma Hall → Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (climb the pagoda) → North Square musical fountain (12:00 session) → lunch on the pedestrian street → South Square Xuanzang sculpture → Shaanxi Folk Custom Grand View Garden → Grand Tang Mall (visit in the evening and watch the light show). The whole trip takes about 5—6 hours; if experiencing folk culture in depth, it can be extended to 7 hours.
Transportation：
Metro: Take Metro Line 3 or Line 4 to "Giant Wild Goose Pagoda" Station. Exit C leads directly to the North Square.
Bus: Take routes 22, 23, 24, 609, etc. to the "Giant Wild Goose Pagoda North Square" stop, or take routes 5, 21, 22, etc. to the "Giant Wild Goose Pagoda South Square" stop.
Self-driving: Enter from the Qujiang exit of the Xi'an Ring Expressway, then go via Ci'en Road to the scenic area. Parking fees are about 10 yuan/hour, with a daily cap of 50 yuan.
Must-Visit Attractions：
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda: Climb the pagoda to overlook Xi'an, visit Tang Dynasty stone inscriptions, and experience the history of Xuanzang's journey to obtain Buddhist scriptures (climbing the pagoda costs 30 yuan; visiting in the morning is recommended to avoid crowds).
Musical Fountain: Asia's largest water landscape performance. At night, the light show is combined with the fountain. The best viewing position is the middle section of the North Square (arrive 30 minutes early to secure a spot).
Grand Tang Mall: Experience the night scenery of the High Tang, watch the "Tumbler" performance and light sculptures. Recommended visiting time is 19:00—22:00.
Travel Suggestions：
In the morning, prioritize visiting Da Ci'en Temple and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. In the afternoon, rest on the pedestrian street. In the evening, focus on watching the fountain and night scenery.
When climbing the pagoda, pay attention to safety. The stairs inside are narrow, so proceed slowly. In summer, the pagoda body has no shade, so sun protection is necessary.
During peak season, the musical fountain area is very crowded. You can dine at nearby restaurants around the North Square in advance and secure a spot.
Performance times at Grand Tang Mall are not fixed. Follow the official public account for scheduling information for performances such as the "Tumbler" and "Grand Tang Secret Box."
Notes：
Smoking and loud noise are prohibited inside Da Ci'en Temple. Respect religious etiquette and do not photograph monks without permission.
Dangerous items are prohibited when climbing the pagoda. Cultural relics inside the pagoda must not be touched. Do not use flash when taking photos.
The ground in the musical fountain area is slippery. Children must be accompanied by adults, and avoid getting close to the fountain pool.
On weekends and holidays, Grand Tang Mall is extremely crowded. Keep personal belongings safe and visit during off-peak times.
Dining in the scenic area is relatively expensive. You can walk to Yanta West Road or Cuihua Road to taste local snacks, such as "Ziwulu Zhangji Roujiamo."