Small Wild Goose Pagoda

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is a Tang-dynasty Buddhist pagoda in Xi'an, one of two famous pagodas in the city. It was built between 707 and 709 and originally had 15 stories, standing 45 meters tall. The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake damaged it, reducing it to its current height of 43 meters with 13 stories. It is part of the UNESCO Silk Roads World Heritage Site.

Don't miss

• Brick pagoda with a square base and hollow interior, typical of Tang-era design
• North and south doorframes made of green stone, carved with Buddhist motifs like celestial beings, vines, and auspicious clouds
• The 'Morning Bell of Goose Pagoda', a Jin-dynasty bell cast in 1192, weighing about 8,000 kilograms and heard for tens of miles
• UNESCO World Heritage listing as part of the Silk Roads: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Cheapest way inTerracotta Army+Gaint Goose Pagoda+City Wall Bus Tour with Option4.8★ · 10 travelers~9 hoursFree cancellationFrom$17 per personSee dates →Best full dayMini Group Xian Day Tour to Terracotta Army, City Wall, Pagoda and Muslim Bazaar4.9★ · 1,546 travelers9-10 hoursFree cancellationFrom$24 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleXi’an Private Day Tour:Terracotta Army, City Wall, Pagoda&Pottery5★ · 31 travelers~8 hoursFree cancellationFrom$25 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The pagoda is one of two significant Buddhist pagodas in Xi'an; the other is the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda.
• The bell in the bell tower was cast in 1192 and rediscovered after a flood; it is rung every morning.

A bit of history

The pagoda was built under Emperor Zhongzong of Tang. It stood across from the Dajianfu Temple, a center for translating Buddhist texts brought from India. The temple was founded in 684, 100 days after Emperor Gaozong's death, when Zhongzong donated his residence to house 200 monks in his father's honor. The pagoda's top two levels were destroyed in the 1556 earthquake.