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Big Wild Goose Pagoda

大雁塔

Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Visit duration

1–2 hours

Opening hours

8:00–17:30 daily (last entry 17:00)

The north-square musical fountain runs evening shows — the pagoda floodlit behind it is the best free spectacle in Xi’an.

Tickets
  • Da Ci’en Temple entry¥40
  • Pagoda climb¥25

    paid inside the temple

Reservation

No booking needed

Tickets at the temple gate; no booking needed.

Facts verified July 13, 2026

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 652 to house the sutras that the monk Xuanzang hauled back from India — the seventeen-year journey that later inspired Journey to the West. The seven-storey brick tower, leaning slightly and standing 64 metres, is the enduring symbol of Tang-dynasty Xi’an.

The pagoda sits inside the working Da Ci’en Temple, all incense and jujube trees; climb the narrow wooden stairs for a view over the axis of the modern city. Come back after dark for the fountain show on the north square, when the floodlit tower does its best Tang-dynasty impression.

Good to know

Is it worth climbing the pagoda?

For the story more than the view — the stairs are narrow and the windows small, but standing in a 1,300-year-old tower built for Xuanzang’s scriptures is the point. Skip it if queues are long and enjoy the temple grounds instead.

When is the fountain show?

Evening shows run most nights on the north square (typically around 8:30pm, more at weekends and in summer). It is free, popular and surprisingly good — arrive 20 minutes early for a spot near the centre line.