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Wild Goose Pagodas |
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Why the These two giant Buddhist pagodas date back about 1300 years during the Tang Dynasty. They are the only tall pagodas of the historic Tang era still standing.
Wild Goose Pagodas
In photographs, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda looks taller than the Big Wild Goose, but it is actually one third shorter. This optical illusion occurs because the small pagoda has 13 floors while the big one has just 7 floors. Yet, the small pagoda's individual floors are exceptionally short in height.
Originally, the big pagoda was known simply as the Wild Goose Pagoda. When the small pagoda was built about a half century later, it, too, was given the name Wild Goose Pagoda. To verbally distinguish the two, the locals prefixed the words "big" and "small".
The two pagodas stand a couple of kilometers (a little over a mile) apart.
Walk up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda's spiral staircase for an excellent view of Xi'an and countryside. Do this early or late in the day during the tourist season to avoid long waits.
The two Wild Goose Pagodas are a 5 to 10 minute drive south from the inner city of Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province.
View my other gold,
My Chinese phrase guide for travelers What every visitor should know.
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