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Big Wild Goose Pagoda, situated in the Da
Ci'en Temple, is one of the most famous Buddhist pagodas in China. It
is located 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 until 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 renown 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. The Wild
Goose Pagoda was finished in 652 A.D. Its five stories are 60 meters in
height. The decay of the earth-cored pagoda caused the new construction
of a 10- storied 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-storied, 64-meter-high structure today.
Architectural Complex
The storied 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.
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