Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, one of Xian's major tourist sites, has recently undergone a lot of development and been made part of a much larger scenic area. Located in the southern suburbs of Xian, the scenic area consists of the Xian Museum, and the ancient Jianfusi Temple, which which houses the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Now the area has been turned into a huge park complex with traditional gardens, a large manmade lake with a traditional Chinese marble bridge crossing it. Here the atmosphere is peaceful, the landscape is beautiful, and it has a unique lingering charm.
Xian's beautiful Small Wild Goose Pagoda
The ancient pagoda has withstood the test of time
The Xian Museum located in the Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area opened in 2007. It houses over 130,000 artifacts, the majority of which were unearthed in important tombs in the area. The three storey building is a stunning example of blending traditional Chinese architectural elements with modern architecture. Near the Xian Museum is an artificial lake which can be crossed by two traditional Chinese marble bridges. The area around the lake has been beautifully designed and is a wonderful place to take a stroll, or just sit and relax and enjoy the surrounding scenery.
The scenic area was designed like a Chinese garden
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area is breathtaking
The Jianfusi Temple was first built in 684. The temple complex is filled with beautiful ancient buildings, peaceful courtyards, and antiques. In the bell tower hangs a huge cast iron bell made in 1192. The bell which was rung every morning and evening is rumored to have been heard for miles around. The temple is more like a park than a temple. It is filled with ancient trees and beautiful ancient architecture. The temple grounds are filled with ancient stone carvings. Being such an ancient city, Xian has many relics buried around the city. Whenever excavations are done for a new building, ancient stone carvings that were once gates to houses, or hitching posts for horses are inevitably found. They are exquisite, and when uncovered, they are sent to the Jianfusi Temple for display. The ancient hitching posts, of which the temple has a large number, are exquisite. They are a tall thin upright pillar with a carving on the top. The carving can be a mythological creature, or a clown, or auspicious symbols. In the temple grounds they have erected them to form a forest of hitching posts. Visitors often take fantastic photos in this part of the temple.
The Xian Museum at night is truly spectacular
The Xian Museum overlooks a beautiful lake
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda in the temple is very delicate in appearance. It is completely built of stone. The top three floors have been damaged, and it really adds to the appeal of the pagoda. Visitors can climb up inside the pagoda and the views from the top are magnificent. During its long history, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda has been silent witness to lot of changes, and has withstood them all. It has also survived over 70 earthquakes. In 1487, a huge earthquake hit Xian. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was damaged from it. A crack slightly less than a meter in width appeared the entire length of the pagoda. The city did not have the means to repair the pagoda, so it was left with its giant crack. During another large earthquake that hit the area in 1521, the gap closed up. It was discovered in recent examinations of the pagoda that the original creators of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda built the foundation of it in the shape of a semicircular sphere. Because of this innovation, when an earthquake hit, the pressure was spread equally allowing the pagoda to survive. It is just another testament to the ancient Chinese people's technological abilities.
The forest of hitching posts at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area
An ancient temple building in the Jianfu Temple
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area is a fantastic site and should be visited by visitors to Xian. Although not as famous as some of the other sites in Xian, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area is no less spectacular and has some advantages. Because it is not as well known, it is not as busy as the other sites and this makes the areas gardens and temple buildings much more peaceful. It is easy to forget you are in the middle of a bustling metropolis in this scenic area. It is a spot that should not be missed.
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More Sites in Xian:
Big Wild Goose Pagoda Ancient City Walls Drum and Bell Towers Xian Terracotta Warriors
