Situated in Da Ci'en Temple, about four kilometers from the urban center, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the famous Buddhist pagodas in China. The body of the pagoda was intended to simulate Chinese wooden structure. The pagoda, typical of and built in praise of Buddhism, is considered to be a model work for storied towers of China. Inside, there is a rich collection of engraved inscriptions and calligraphic arts dating back to the Tang Dynasty. The tower in the middle of the Xian badge is this tower which is the symbol of the city.

Originally built in 589A.D, in the Sui Dynasty, the temple was named Wulou Temple. In 684A.D, Emperor Li Zhi, then still a crown prince, sponsored a repair project on the temple in memory of his mother, Empress Wende. It then assumed the present name Da Ci'en Temple (the temple of Thanksgiving). The temple consisted of 1,879magnificent rooms and was a place of grand extent in the Tang Dynasty. However, the halls and rooms that have survived the ages were actually built in the Ming Dynasty.

The Tang Regime gave orders to build a chamber for the translation of Buddhist scriptures and appointed the widely renowned Monk Xuan Zang (Monk Trip taka) the head of the temple. Xuan Zang was a famous Buddhist, translator and traveler. At the age of 28 in 628A.D, he went to study Buddhism in India. He spent 17years doing research into Buddhism in various places. He took Chinese culture to India, at the same time, he returned to Chang'an with 657 volumes of Buddhist Scriptures. Then he translated Buddhist Scriptures in Da Ci'en Temple for 11 years. His “Travels in the Western Regions” was based on what he had witnessed in about 128 countries and regions. He recorded their geographic locations and customs. His work provides an important source of information for the study of the history and geography of these regions.

In order to store the scriptures and statues he had brought back from India, Xuan Zang proposed the court to build a pagoda inside the temple.

The two fierce-looking stone lions before the front gate of the temple stand there as if they were two sentinels guarding the place. The pagoda is seven-story, 64 meters in height. This storied pagoda is an architectural marvel. It was built with layers of bricks but without any cement in between, the Dou gong (bracket) style in traditional Chinese architecture features the construction of the pagoda which reflects people's wisdom and talent in ancient China. Above the stone doors at the bottom of the tower, there remain the exquisite line-etched pictures from the Tang Dynasty which are pieces of art now used for the study of the Tang architecture. One can spiral up the tower and look around and the whole view of city.

Inside the temple where the pagoda is situated, there are two small buildings. The one on the east side houses a bell which was cast in the Ming Dynasty and weighed 15 tons. The one on the west side houses a drum. The drum and bell were used to strike time for the monk 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 fashen Buddha. The one in the west side is called baoshen Buddha, and the one on the opposite side is called yingshen Buddha. Sakyamuni was the founder of Buddhism. The figure on the east side, beside the three incarnations of the Buddha is Jia Ye. The one on the other side is Ahnan, Sakyamuni's cousin. Both were two of the ten great disciples under Sakyamuni. Along both sides are the 18 arhats, who were also Sakyamuni's disciplines. Arhats are the highest ideal position in Hinayana Buddhism.

The Doctrine Chamber is the place where the Amitabha Buddha is worshiped. He is in charge of the Western Paradise. At the word of the Amitabha Buddha, one will be lead to the Paradise upon his death. So, the Amitabha Buddha is also called the Buddha of Guidance. In the Tang Dynasty, every successful candidate who passed the imperial examination would write poems and inscriptions on the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to express their happiness and confidence in the bright future, which was called “Inscription on the Big Wild Goose Pagoda”. Then it became a custom. The famous poet Bai Juyi once wrote, “Here under the Ci'en Pagoda, I inscribe my name as the youngest of the seventeen candidates.” He revealed his pride and happiness when he became successful at a young age.

Surrounding Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the scenery is also quite charming, especially the square north of the Da Ci'en Temple. The square is the biggest fountain and waterscape square in Asia with 200,000 square meters of water area. It is consist of fountain and waterscape square, Tang-culture square , gardens and sights, culture porch and facilities of travel and business.

It has many no.1 in the world: it has the most benches, the longest light-bell, the largest-scale acoustic complex. It is also the first square with drinkable water and dustbin with ashtray. Its technologies, the scale of sculptures, the duration of instruction, the investment instruction, the level of cleanness and many other aspects break area even world record.

With its eminent status and grand size, it has become an attraction that couldn't be ignored when you visited Xian.