Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Originally built in 652 during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it functioned to collect Buddhist materials that were taken from India by the hierarch Xuanzang.
Xuanzang started off from Chang'an (the ancient Xian), along the Silk Road and through deserts, finally arriving in India, the cradle of Buddhism. Enduring 17 years and traversing 100 countries, he obtained Buddha figures, 657 kinds of sutras, and several Buddha relics. Having gotten the permission of Emperor Gaozong (628-683), Xuanzang, as the first abbot of Da Ci'en Temple, supervised the building of a pagoda inside it. With the support of royalty, he asked 50 hierarchs into the temple to translate Sanskrit in sutras into Chinese, totaling 1,335 volumes, which heralded a new era in the history of translation. Based on the journey to India, he also wrote a book entitled 'Pilgrimage to the West' in the Tang Dynasty, to which scholars attached great importance.
First built to a height of 60 meters (197 feet) with five stories, it is now 64.5 meters (211.6 feet) high with an additional two stories. It was said that after that addition came the saying-'Saving a life exceeds building a seven-storied pagoda'. Externally it looks like a square cone, simple but grand and it is a masterpiece of Buddhist construction. Built of brick, its structure is very firm. Inside the pagoda, stairs twist up so that visitors can climb and overlook the panorama of Xian City from the arch-shaped doors on four sides of each storey. On the walls are engraved fine statues of Buddha by the renowned artist Yan Liben of the Tang Dynasty. Steles by noted calligraphers also grace the pagoda.
As for the reason why it is called Big Wild Goose Pagoda, there is a legend. According to ancient stories of Buddhists, there were two branches, for one of which eating meat was not a taboo. One day, they couldn't find meat to buy. Upon seeing a group of big wild geese flying by, a monk said to himself: 'Today we have no meat. I hope the merciful Bodhisattva will give us some.' At that very moment, the leading wild goose broke its wings and fell to the ground. All the monks were startled and believed that Bodhisattva showed his spirit to order them to be more pious. They established a pagoda where the wild goose fell and stopped eating meat. Hence it got the name 'Big Wild Goose Pagoda'.
The Terracotta Army (Chinese: 兵马俑; Pinyin: Bīng Mǎ Yǒng; literally "military servants") or Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses is a collection of 8,099 life-size terra cotta figures of warriors and horses located in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (秦始皇陵; Qín Shǐ Huáng Líng). The figures were discovered in 1974 near Xi'an, Shaanxi province,
The terracotta figures were buried with the first Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang) in 210-209 BC. Consequently, they are also sometimes referred to as "Qin's Army."
The Terracotta Army of China was discovered in March 1974 by local farmers drilling a well to the east of Mount Li. Mount Li is the name of the man-made necropolis and tomb of the First Emperor of Qin; Qin Shi Huang. Construction of this mausoleum began in 246 B.C. and is believed to have taken 700,000 workers and craftsmen 36 years to complete. Qin Shi Huang was interred inside the tomb complex upon his death in 210 B.C. According to the Grand Historian Sima Qian, The First Emperor was buried alongside great amounts of treasure and objects of craftsmanship, as well as a scale replica of the universe complete with gemmed ceilings representing the cosmos, and flowing mercury. representing the great earthly bodies of water. Recent scientific work at the site has shown high levels of mercury in the soil of Mount Li, tentatively indicating an accurate description of the site’s contents by Sima Qian.
The tomb of Qin Shi Huang is near an earthen pyramid 76 meters tall and nearly 350 meters square. The tomb presently remains unopened. There are plans to seal-off the area around the tomb with a special tent-type structure to prevent corrosion from exposure to outside air. However, there is at present only one company in the world that makes these tents, and their largest model will not cover the site as needed.
Qin Shi Huang’s necropolis complex was constructed to serve as an imperial compound or palace. It is comprised of several offices, halls and other structures and is surrounded by a wall with gateway entrances. The remains of the craftsmen working in the tomb may also be found within its confines, as it is believed they were sealed inside alive to keep them from divulging any secrets about its riches or entrance. It was only fitting, therefore, to have this compound protected by the massive terra cotta army interred nearby.
