Small Wild Goose Pagoda & Xi'an Museum
小雁塔
A Tang-dynasty multi-eaved brick pagoda sharing its grounds with the free Xi'an Museum. Part of the 'Silk Roads' World Heritage Site, it is peaceful and rewarding.
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built during the Jinglong era of the Tang dynasty (707-709 CE). It was the Buddhist pagoda of Jianfu Temple. Originally 15 stories, it now has 13 and stands about 43 meters tall. Despite multiple earthquakes that damaged its top, it has endured, making it a prime example of the Tang multi-eaved brick pagoda. In 2014, it was included in the World Heritage List as part of the 'Silk Roads: the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Network' site. Within the same grounds, the Xi'an Museum displays about 130,000 cultural relics excavated from Xi'an across successive dynasties, and its core exhibition traces the history of the ancient capital clearly. The museum and grounds are free to enter, but visitors must book in advance by real name through the official WeChat account. Climbing the pagoda costs extra, and spots are limited. The ancient trees, the bell tower ('Morning Bell at Goose Pagoda'), and the old hall of Jianfu Temple make for a quiet stroll, which takes about 2 hours. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. Walk about 10 minutes from Nanshaomen Station on Metro Line 2.
Opening hours
09:00-17:30 (closed Tuesdays)
Nearby sights
- Daxingshan Temple
- Xi'an City Wall
- Xi'an Beilin Museum (Forest of Steles) & Shuyuanmen
- Shaanxi History Museum
- Bell Tower and Drum Tower
- Great Mosque of Xi'an
- Muslim Quarter (Beiyuanmen)
- Xi'an City God Temple