Big Wild Goose Pagoda: A symbol of Chinese Buddhist heritage

Nice! What a good shot! The flame is burning. The fire is burning. The eminent Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang traversed 25,000 km over the course of 17 years, completing his arduous journey to India and returning to Chang'an in 645. At this moment in the Tang Dynasty, the empire was ushering in its most resplendent era. Lining the Grand Zhuque Avenue in Chang'an, monks and nuns stood in solemn assembly, as people flocked to Hongfu Temple to catch a glimpse of the revered monk. Twenty steeds carried 657 scriptures, a multitude of Buddha's relics, and seven statues, commemorating the historical westward journey. Chang'an is a city with a rich religious atmosphere. When the Great Wall was first built, there were many monasteries in the city, with up to eight Buddhist monasteries in Chongxianfang. In addition to the Buddhist monasteries, there were also Taoist temples and other religious activities. In the Tang Dynasty, there were also quite a few religious venues. Xuanzang's return to China brought both honor and a sense of duty. Though Buddhism had long reached China, the scriptures were riddled with translation errors and theoretical disputes. Hence, upon his return, Xuanzang immediately began the task of translating the scriptures. In 648, he was ordered to move from Hongfu Temple to the newly established Great Xian Temple to continue his translation work. As the volume of translated scriptures increased, the precious palm-leaf scriptures and Buddha's relics required a pagoda for safekeeping. Thus, Xuanzang petitioned the court to construct the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the most important royal temple in Chang'an. Many famous monks came to host the pagoda. The most famous of them was the first abbot, who was also known as a world-class cultural master. In the third year of Yonghui, a pagoda was built in the west yard of the pagoda. This is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. In 652, after receiving imperial funding, Xuanzang personally oversaw the construction of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Although the five-story brick pagoda was quite different from the seven-story stone structure he had originally envisioned, he deemed the pagoda's swift completion and the storage of scriptures to be more important. After two years of construction, the pagoda was completed. Its architectural design was inspired by the towering Buddhist stupa in Bodh Gaya, which Xuanzang had seen during his time in India. The pagoda is located in Jincheng Square, southeast of Chang'an City. And as it sits inside the Great Xian Temple Complex, it overlooks an extensive area of nearly 300,000 square meters. The Tang Dynasty was a period of great unification in China, and it was also a period of great prosperity. This is reflected in the architecture. Its technology and cultural art were in fact a combination of both. The architectural style of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda has evolved over time, departing from its original form and undergoing successive renovations to achieve its present appearance. It incorporates elements of Tang architecture marked by blue bricks used in columns, brackets, architrave, beams, eaves, and flying eaves, mimicking wooden structures. Its columns hold dou gong brackets, forming a compact structure with meticulously fitted bricks for extraordinary strength. The existing Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a seven-story structure, composed of a base, body, and spire, with a total height of 64.7 meters and a pyramidal shape. It is the earliest surviving square-shaped, multi-storied brick pagoda from the Tang Dynasty in China, and is a prime example of a brick pagoda imitating wooden structure. When the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was first built, it was five stories high. After the renovation in the Wuzetian period, it became seven stories high. Today, we can see that the bricks on the outside of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda are covered with bricks. But the basic structure of the pagoda is still the same as that of the Tang Dynasty. The most typical is that it retains the four-sided structure of the four-sided pagoda of the Tang Dynasty. After the Song Dynasty, most pagodas in China are octagonal. The early pagodas in China are the four-sided pagodas. Yanta, or Wild Goose Pagoda, is a common term in China for pagodas, which originated in India. Later on, when another pagoda was built in the Jianfu Temple in Chang'an, to differentiate between them, people began to call the pagoda in Xi'an Temple the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the other one the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Thanks to Xuanzang's relentless efforts, after the completion of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the writings of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong were inscribed on stone stelaes that stood at the foot of the pagoda, leading to the further spread of Buddhism. We know that the main feature of ancient Chinese architecture is the spiral structure. This is a basic feature of Chinese traditional architecture. There is rarely such a high structure. Perhaps only pagodas like the Buddha Tower are extended to the sky. It is another cultural phenomenon. Among the existing pagodas in China, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda ranks among the tallest. For the people living in Chang'an at that time, a simple glance upwards would reveal the pagoda. Since its completion, it has continuously attracted monks, nuns, literati, and poets, all coming to admire its grandeur. Tang poet Chen Shen, upon ascending the pagoda, wrote, The pagoda surges high, reaching the celestial sphere. Ascending, one transcends the world, on steps that wind through emptiness. The poem vividly portrays the pagoda's majesty, and the breathtaking vistas from its top. Ancient Chinese cities lacked public spaces like the western square. So where did these public events take place? Monasteries were an important venue. Buddhism is all about equality between men and women. So ancient Chinese monasteries were not only a place to worship the Buddha, but also a place to have fun. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda held profound cultural significance for the people of Chang'an. During the Tang Dynasty, after the imperial exams, the successful candidates, known as Jinshi, would visit here and choose the best calligrapher among them to etch their names and that of their hometowns on the walls. Bai Juyi, one of the three great poets of the Tang Dynasty, inscribed his name as the youngest among 17 candidates. It is one of the Eight Sites of Guanzhong and represents an enduring legacy of honor. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is an architectural marvel of the Tang Dynasty that defined the skyline of the great city of Chang'an. It is also an important public space and a radiant cultural landmark. Today, as we gaze upon the pagoda, we can imagine the dreamlike, inclusive and open golden age of the Tang Dynasty. We can also recall Xuanzang's selfless pursuit of truth. For over a thousand years, the pagoda has borne witness to dynastic changes and historical shifts. As the most intact and majestic structure from the Tang Dynasty, it stands as a symbol of the introduction of Buddhism to China. It showcases the ingenuity and artistic achievements of the ancient Chinese and serves as a testament to the cultural exchange between China and India.