Big Wild Goose Pagoda Ticket Xi'an

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was first built in 652, at the height of the Tang dynasty, when Xi'an, then called Chang'an, was the largest city in the world and the eastern end of the Silk Road. A Tang monk who had spent years travelling to India brought back hundreds of Buddhist texts, and the pagoda was raised to protect them while they were translated here. The first earthen tower soon decayed and was rebuilt in brick in the early eighth century; today it stands about 64 metres high in seven storeys, leaning very slightly to the west.

In 2014 the pagoda became part of the Silk Roads World Heritage listing. Is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda worth visiting? It is the most important Buddhist monument in Xi'an and the best place in the city to feel the Tang golden age, so for most travellers it is a must, especially combined with the lively squares around it.

Da Ci'en Temple

The pagoda stands inside the Da Ci'en Temple, the Temple of Great Maternal Grace, founded in 648 by the Tang court. Much larger in its heyday, it is still a working monastery, and stepping through its gate from the busy plaza outside feels like entering another world: monks in saffron robes, the smell of incense, the deep sound of the bronze bell and locals praying before the halls.

Walk the central axis through the bell and drum towers, the Hall of the Great Hero with its gilded Buddhas, and the Dharma hall, then on to the pagoda's base. Here stone steles carved in the Tang dynasty carry prefaces to the translated scriptures in admired calligraphy. The courtyards, planted with old pines and ginkgo trees, give the best photographic angles of the pagoda framed by curved temple eaves.

Climbing the Pagoda and Planning Your Visit

Your ticket covers the temple grounds and close views of the pagoda. When the climbing service is open you can buy a separate ticket on site and take the narrow wooden stairs up inside the tower, where small arched windows on each storey look out over the city. Climbing takes about 20 to 30 minutes; the stairs are steep and the tower can be busy at weekends.

Plan about one to one and a half hours for the temple and pagoda. Entry times run from 08:30 to 16:30 in the booking panel, and the grounds close in the early evening. The best time to visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the morning, when the courtyards are quiet and the light is soft on the brick, then return to the squares outside after dark when the pagoda is lit.

How to Get There and the Squares Around the Pagoda

How to get to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda: take Metro Line 3 or Line 4 to Dayanta station, a few minutes' walk from the scenic area, or a short taxi ride south from the Bell Tower. The ticketed entrance is on the south side, facing the temple gate.

Outside the temple, the North Square holds one of Asia's largest musical fountains, with shows on most days at set times, free to watch. To the south runs a long pedestrian boulevard of Tang-style buildings, statues and evening lights that comes alive after sunset. Together with the temple they make an easy half-day, and the Muslim Quarter, famous for halal (qingzhen) food run by Hui Muslim families, is a short metro ride away for dinner.